Betrayal on High
by coldfiredragon
Summary: Harry finds out that he isn't who he thinks he is and this realization will change the fate of his world. DARK Harry, EVIL Dumbledore. Some Language.
1. Prologue

I don't' own Harry Potter, please don't sue me.

Thanks to all who chose to review.

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This prologue chapter reports a brief history of Harry Potter's life as it exists in my Harry Potter reality. The story that will follow in subsequent chapters will tell the story of Harry's life when he finds out that he isn't really the son of Lily and James Potter. My goal with this prologue is that it will avoid some of the confusion that will arise from my story before I post it. 

In the beginning there was a little boy named Malachi Alexander Snape. He was born into the world as the loved son of Death-eaters Severus Snape and Anastasia Snape. His parents were loyal servants of the Dark Lord Voldemort and served him willingly as potions masters. Severus also served his lord by gathering information about Albus Dumbledore and the happenings within the walls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy.

Severus and his wife, along with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy formed the inner most circle of Voldemort's elite, the four of them were the leaders of his armies on the field of battle. They were the most feared of his generals, the Dark Lord's four Horsemen. In 1979 both Anastasia and Narcissa became pregnant at about the same time. They retired from the field of battle and chose to guide Voldemort's armies from the war room of Riddle manor.

Anastasia gave birth first. Her son, Malachi Alexander Snape was proudly brought into the world on July 14th 1980. Narcissa gave birth to her son Draco less then a week later. The two children were loved by their parents and by the dark lord they served. They would become the rightful heirs to Voldemort's legacy.

Little did Severus and Anastasia realize that their perfect world of bliss would end just over a year after their son's birth. You see Severus' position as a spy within Voldemort's ranks left him vulnerable to the whims of Albus Dumbledore. The man would stop at nothing to end Voldemort's reign, even use a small child to his advantage if it meant being able to use the father.

Exactly one year and sixteen days after young Malachi's birth Lily Potter, wife of esteemed Auror James Potter gave birth to the couple's first child Harry James Potter. There was much rejoicing on the side of the light because Harry was rumored to be the one prophesied to defeat Voldemort forever. The day after Harry's birth tragedy stuck when the celebrated infant was found dead of natural causes in his cradle.

Before word of the child's death could get out Dumbledore put a plan into motion to salvage the Potter's happiness and gain a spy among Voldemort's ranks for his own use. The headmaster of Hogwarts arranged an Auror raid on the Snape's home where Anastasia was killed. Severus and his one year old son were brought before Dumbledore and the mighty wizard cast the dice that would set the stage for one family's happiness and another man's misery. Dumbledore took the child from his father and altered the infant's appearance so he was identical to the baby the Potter's had lost. He then altered the Potter's memory of their son's death.

Severus' memory was altered as well. He now believed that his wife and son were dead because Voldemort had betrayed him. With embittered conviction Severus became a spy for Dumbledore while loathing the happiness that the Potter's enjoyed, never knowing that their happiness came at his expense. As for the headmaster of Hogwarts? Well he lived on knowing that two parents of the light enjoyed peace while a family of the dark had been destroyed. He never regretted what he had done because the needs of the many out way the needs of few. The wizarding world needed their savior and the dark had lost a powerful family of servants.

Fifteen years have passed since Malachi Snape became Harry Potter. Since then a child who might have lived a happy life with parents who adored him has lived with a family who loathes and despises his very presence. Harry spent ten years of his life living in a closest under the stairs. This is terrifying and scarring thing to do to a child. Then when Harry Potter turned eleven years old he received his acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This event changed his life forever. He was no longer ignored in fact he was admired and envied because as the one year old son of Lily and James Potter he had "defeated" Lord Voldemort and escaped with a lightening bolt shaped scar.

Harry arrived at Hogwarts where he made friends and enemies. Those enemies include his own father and second year student Draco Malfoy. Harry had no idea that he should have stood at the height of Slytherin royalty with Draco or that he was in actuality the same age as the other boy.

What Harry thought would be the learning experience of a lifetime quickly took a turn for the worst. It turned out that the Dark Lord Voldemort was trying to get the Sorceror's Stone to get back his body. Harry was able to thwart this plan and his fame grew.

The second year at Hogwarts was even worse. This time Harry had two things to deal with. The incidents within the chamber of secrets and the knowledge that he was being hunted by escaped criminal Sirius Black. Harry was able to find out the truth about the Chamber of Secrets by Christmas. He saved Ginny Weasley and got that idiot Lockhart placed in Saint Mungo's for having his memory erased. This left the second half of the year to deal with the problem of Sirius Black. He found out that Sirius was his Godfather and that Peter Pettigrew was the real culprit in the death of Harry's supposed parents Lily and James.

The third year at Hogwarts dawned bright and clear. It appeared that this year would be the best that Harry had ever experienced at Hogwarts. He had no intention of entering the Tri-Wizard Tournament but somehow that stupid goblet had spit out his name as the fourth competitor. So it came to be that a third year student would be forced to participate in one of the most dangerous magical tournaments ever held. The contest went well with Harry getting lucky for most of the challenges until the final challenge began.

It was a maze and at the end there was a cup which would declare the winner. Harry and another student took the opportunity to win together and it led to the other student's death. Harry was then forced to participate in a ritual to bring the Dark Lord Voldemort back to power. The ritual was successful and Harry managed to escape the Dark Lord's clutches. He returned with the dead body of his fellow student and a story that made the wizarding world shudder in fear.

Smart men like Albus Dumbledore however, reacted to his student's words. Harry still didn't know about his family or his birth or about the prophecy that guided his destiny and Dumbledore had no intention of loosing the pawns he had so carefully set into play. The man convinced Severus to return as a spy and Harry was sent back to Privet Drive to spend another summer with abusive relatives.

At the end of the summer before the beginning of his fourth year Harry Potter was attacked by dementors and used magic to defend himself. This caused yet more trouble for the boy who lived as he was dragged before a court. He managed to get through that inquiry and return to Hogwarts. The year passed quickly wit rumors of Voldemort and ministry denials of his return flourishing. At the end of the year Harry allowed the manipulations of Voldemort to affect him so terribly that his actions caused the death of Harry's beloved Godfather Sirius Black.

It was after this that Dumbledore decided to make his move. He told Harry about the prophecy that surrounded his destiny before sending the boy back to the home of his relatives where he would be protected.

Now we have arrived at present day. It is exactly sixteen days before Harry Potter's birthday and Harry is about to realize just how much has really been hidden from him over the years. You see Albus Dumbledore was not all knowing in his wisdom and has failed to see that the concerned emotions of a loving mother set a contingency plan into affect that will change the perfectly ordered agenda of Albus Dumbledore. Harry Potter will realize the truth and the savior of the light side will forever be lost to darkness.

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This is my revised Harry Potter time line. As this story begins Harry is preparing to begin his fifth year at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy in this story is sixteen and in actuality Harry is sixteen years old as well. 

I hope this prevents a lot of the confusion that this story would otherwise generate. I hope people take time to read and review. If I spelled something wrong that is Harry Potter related please correct me. If I have my dates wrong please correct me as well. Thanks to all who chose to review.


	2. An Owl from the past

Okay, first off I don't own Harry Potter. None of it what so ever. 

WARNING: This will be a DARK HARRY fic, for those of you who don't like it I'm sorry. It's my story and I get to write it the way I want. If you want to flame me that's fine I'll take it all in stride. I love good reviews though. If you want to criticize my writing I welcome that as well.

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My name was, no wait technically still is, Harry James Potter. I say was but technically still is because a couple weeks ago I found out that my name really wasn't Harry James Potter at all. My real name is Malachi Alexander Snape. Those who know me as Harry James Potter would say that I have been hit with a blunger one to many times for my own good but I swear I'm telling the truth. I'm writing this down because, well I want the truth to be known if anything should happen to me. Just like my mother wrote if anything happened to her. I should probably start from the beginning just to make sure everything is clear. I want you to understand, I really do so it's best that I start at the beginning…

Harry James Potter was the son of Lily and James Potter, and the famous boy who lived. At just a year old he had defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort. It was late at night and much to the surprise of anyone who knew of Harry Potter's lifestyle during the summer, the lights in his room shown brightly. The reason for this was because the Dursleys were out of town for the summer. Instead of sleeping Harry was doing homework. Not that he really cared about the essay that Professor Snape had assigned but, homework was homework and it had to be done. Little did young master Potter know that he was life was about to be changed forever.

It was a couple of weeks till Harry's birthday and he was eagerly awaiting the gifts that his friends would send him. It bugged him though; they left him out of the loop all summer and then sent him gifts. He hated it, hated being left in the dark all the time when he should be the one in the know. He was destined to save their stupid world after all.

Harry stood and stretched. As he did so he looked over at the full length mirror on the back of his door and sighed. He had changed drastically over the summer. His height had increased and he now stood around 6'1" or 6'2". His hair had also straightened out and Harry had let it grow. It now hung in a loose pony tail. The most shocking change had been his eyes. Instead of the bright green they had been during the school they had changed to a darker green with a tiny bit of black mixed in. With this change his eyesight had also improved and he no longer needed his glasses.

Harry had been drawn from his thoughts by the sound of an owl pecking at his window. Surprised and worried by the sudden arrival of an owl Harry immediately opened the window and the owl flew in. As it did so it dropped a package on Harry's lap. Harry looked at the package nervously and looked at the owl. The owl showed no sign of leaving and as Harry stared at the package he began to fear that it was something sent to him by Voldemort. He studied it and saw no return address. He then picked up his wand and cast all the danger detection spells he had memorized. He knew that over the summer the ministry had declared that underage wizards could use magic for purposes such as this to guarantee their safety in such dark times.

The spells showed nothing unusual but Harry was still reluctant to open it. He looked to the owl who hooted in what seemed like understanding and flew over to Harry where it landed softly on his head and nipped at his hair. Harry was shocked, not by the owl's actions but by the sense of warm that flooded him at the gesture. He quickly forgot all his doubts about the package and opened it slowly.

The first thing he realized was that the package had been charmed to be much bigger on the inside then the outside and that the inside held a large amount of items. Two letters which were lying neatly on top of the items caught his eye first, and he removed them carefully. He could tell that the items were several years old. He also realized they had been charmed to be unharmed by the passage of time.

The letter on top was addressed in neat following script and simply read, "_my dearest son"_. Harry opened the envelope with trembling fingers and began to read. He read in silence for several minutes before the paper dropped from his hands. Before it fell he grabbed it and read it again. His disbelief faded to be placed with a sense of dread.

_The Letter:_

_To my dearest son:_

_I am writing this letter because I fear for my life and the safety of you and my loving husband. My name is Anastasia Lynn Snape, my husband is Severus Salazar Snape, and you by son are our firstborn, Malachi Alexander Snape. This message is to be sent to you on your sixteenth birthday if I am no longer there to stop it from being sent. If it is sent and you do not what I am speaking of then I have died trying to protect you and the forces that are working against our family have won. _

_Let me explain before I go any farther. Your father Severus works as potions master under Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is a spy for our lord and master Lord Voldemort. I fear that Albus Dumbledore will try to turn my husband against our lord and to do this he will use you and I against your father. I do not know how he will do this but I fear it greatly. That is why I set up this package to be delivered on your sixteenth birthday. _

_I will send it to you in the care of Lancelot, the baby owl your father gave you when you were born. The poor owl loves you greatly and will get this message to you no matter what. The package has been charmed to detect the unique magical signature that only you will have my son. If you do no know me it is because that foul wizard has done something to you to alter your memories. This is not a lie, I promise. No matter what Dumbledore has told you, you must believe that this is not a lie. I made a promise the day you were born and that promise was never to lie to my children. _

_I'm so sorry I am not there for you if you are reading this. Right now you are asleep in your cradle and I can look over at you and smile. You are such a beautiful child. I dread that I might not be there to see you recognize your potential my sweet angel. _

_This message is charmed to remove any memory spells that have been cast on you. You need to know the truth if you are being lied to Malachi. I don't want to see my son lied to by anyone. This package includes your magical birth certificate. As all wizarding birth certificates it updates itself while keeping all original records complete. It can not be forged in any way. After much consideration I have decided to include my birth certificate as well. This way you will be able to tell when I died. _

_I included some of the things I treasure most and want to see survive. My wedding pictures as well as the first baby pictures we took of you are part of this package. Please protect them. Also included are some of the things that belonged to you as a child. I have also included my pensive as part of this package which has copies of all my memories of you as an infant as well as copies of my fears about what might happen to our family. _

_A package like this one is also being sent to my beloved Severus. If you have been separated please seek out your father about this information. He is a good man my dearest son. He will want to protect you no matter what Dumbledore has done to manipulate and warp his mind. _

_Again, you're loving mother:_

_Anastasia Lynn Snape_

Harry dimly realized that tears were running down his face as he finished the letter a second time. If this information was true then he had been manipulated beyond anything his mother could have feared. The thought of having Snape for a father had also upset him. _Snape hates me there is no way he will accept me as a son._ Sighing Harry put the letter to the side and starting taking the other items out of the box. The first thing he removed was the second letter which contained his birth certificate.

_Name: Malachi Alexander Snape Born: July 24th 1980_

_(Harry James Potter)_

_Parents:_

_Father: Severus Salazar Snape Mother: Anastasia Lynn Snape_

_(Adopted Parents:_

_Father: James Michael Potter Mother: Lily Michele Potter)_

_Godparents:_

_Lucius Malfoy Narcissa Malfoy_

_(Adopted Godparents:_

_Sirius Black Lita Saunders)_

Harry stared at the birth-certificate for a few minutes as he pondered why there were two sets of information. Finally the words from his mother's letter clicked. A magical birth-certificate couldn't be changed. If Dumbledore had actually taken him from his family and Lily and James had adopted him then the information would appear on a true birth-certificate.

Harry had gently put the certificate back in the envelope and set it aside with the letter. He had then begun pulling items from the box. The first thing he removed was a large photo album which he started flipping through. The first pictures were of Ana's and Severus' wedding. They showed the two wizards at their best. Harry was struck by how beautiful Ana had been. His mother had beautiful green eyes and straight black hair. She was slim and pale but not in a way that was unpleasant to look at. She also had a smile that lit up all of the pictures. His father also looked much happier then Harry had ever seen him. He appeared happy and not at all the evil teacher that Harry knew. _If you lost your family wouldn't you be devastated as well?_ Now that Harry had some insight into the man he understood why the man acted as he did.

His mother had also included pictures of the couples honeymoon to Paris. After these pictures Harry had found several pictures of his mother and father with their friends and family. He was able to spot Narcissa and Lucius in several of them. The final picture in this set was one that surprised him the most. It was a picture of his parents and the Malfoys with Tom Riddle. Tom was sitting in the middle with Harry's parents on one side and the Malfoys on the other. Severus and Lucius had one arm wrapped around their wives and the other on their wives equally pregnant stomachs. All five adults were smiling brightly as they joked back and forth.

Finally Harry reached the section he was most eager to see, his own baby pictures. As Harry turned the pages he found tears running down his face. Each picture invoked small repressed childhood memories. He realized that the memory charms placed on his mind were undoing themselves.

There were pictures of him shortly after he had been born, pictures of him with his parents and godparents, and pictures of him sleeping in his cradle. Everything he could have ever wanted to see from his first year of life. There were also pictures with a boy that Harry assumed was Draco.

Those confused him a little because Draco was a year ahead of him at Hogwarts but the pictures showed them as the same age. Now that he thought about it the birth certificate also stated that the Snape's son had been born a year earlier then he had. He would be turning 15 in just over two weeks and the package was supposed to be sent to him on his sixteenth birthday.

Harry suddenly had doubts about the package and its origin. As he considered everything he continued to look through the pictures. Each picture had an age written below it and Harry could see that the pictures ranged from his birth to his first birthday. One of the last pictures was a picture of his first birthday party. He could see everyone in the background as they clapped and cheered as his parents helped him blow out the candles.

The last picture in the album showed the small family together on the couch of their home. There was shredded wrapping paper and streamers lying all over. Severus was holding his son in his lap while Ana was asleep on her husband's shoulder. The look of peace on their faces made Harry cry harder. If they really were his parents then Severus had lost so much.

Pressed reverently in the back of the photo album was Anastasia's birth certificate. Harry picked up the document with gentle hands and started reading over the information

_Name: Anastasia Lynn Wolski (Snape)_

_Born: April 7th 1958_

_Died: August 1st 1981_

_Parents:_

_Father: Alexander Jakob Wolski_

_Mother: Katherine Noel Wolski_

_Godparents _

_Godfather: Maximillian York_

_Godmother: Vanessa York_

His mother had died two days after Lily Potter had given birth to her son? That had shocked Harry but it had also made sense. The Potter baby was supposed to be part of Dumbledore's prophecy, and if something had happened to the baby shortly after birth then Dumbledore would have lost what he saw as his only chance to defeat Voldemort. The man had needed a baby to replace the Potter's infant and at the same time he had used Severus' family against him. Severus probably didn't know his son was alive. Dumbledore had used the man's grief over his son's death to turn him against Voldemort.

It all made perfect sense to Harry now. Everything matched up. The change in appearance, the arrival of the package, the black owl, it all made perfect sense. The truth had also made Harry angry. He was sick of being used as a pawn and if he had his way he would get back at Dumbledore for betraying him.


	3. Another letter

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything related to Harry Potter. 

Summary: Harry finds out that he isn't who he thinks he is and this realization will change the fate of his world forever. DARK Harry, EVIL Dumbledore. Rating may change in later chapters.

New chapter, I hope everyone has enjoyed the first two chapters so far. In this chapter it is Severus' turn to find out that Dumbledore has been using him as a pawn.

Thanks to my reviewers so far. Nuavarion asked me a question about the first two chapters which is addressed at the end of this chapter. I hope my answer clears things up.

Feel free to tell me if I'm spelling things wrong. I will correct them. I don't have a beta but if you guys really think I need one I'll consider taking one on.

Okay on with the story

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Severus Snape was making his way through the narrow streets of Diagon Alley. It was getting late and Severus was exhausted. He hated his work as a spy for Albus Dumbledore and the man's precious order. The act of spying brought back too many memories of things Severus was trying to suppress.

He remembered his first years as a death eater, when Ana had still been alive. He had loved that woman with all his soul and it had nearly ruined him to loose her. He yearned for the days when he, Ana, Lucius, and Narcissa would ride into battle as the head of Voldemort's forces. They had been called the Dark Lord's Four Horsemen, not even Dumbledore knew his role as a former general. He may have betrayed the cause that Voldemort fought for but there were some things that were protected in his mind. Things that not even vertaserum or occulemency would have made him reveal.

Then there was the most wonderful year of his life. The year and sixteen days that his son had been in his life. He remembered how Ana would glow when the topic of their child was brought up. They had loved Malachi with all their being and the little child had been spoiled endlessly. If the boy were still alive today he and Draco would have been unstoppable. Who would dare challenge the nobility among pure blood society? The two children were the heirs to Voldemort's legacy after all. Draco would inherit it all one day and Severus would support the boy above all else. He was Draco's godfather after all.

Even after he had turned himself in as an "unwilling" member of Voldemort's forces Severus had still maintained certain ideals. These were the things he locked away in the inaccessible part of his mind. Dumbledore would never know unless he told him personally. With a sigh Severus had looked around his suroundings. It had starting to get dark and the shops owners of the stores had shooed their remaining customers out with gentle patience.

Severus didn't know why he had decided come to the alley today. He had needed to get some rare potion ingredients to replace his stock and he had needed the newest potion book from Flourish and Blots. Other then that he really hadn't had a reason to come. _I had to get away from the castle._ If Malachi had still been alive the boy would have turned sixteen today. Severus made a quick decision and decided that he would not go back to the castle that evening. He had quickly made his way toward the Leaky Cauldron and approached the bar. Tom waved to him and he had flagged the innkeeper over.

"I need a room for the night Tom. I'm too tired to apparate back to Hogsmead and floo travel does nothing for my head." The innkeeper had nodded in understanding and returned with a key. Severus had taken the offered item eagerly and had ordered dinner to be brought to his room. After he had recieved acknowledgement from Tom that his meal would be sent up he went upstairs. He had found the room easily and let himself in.

He had been pleasantly surprised to find a warm bath waiting for him and a note that informed him to relax and bathe before receiving his meal. He did so and as he was stepping out of the bathe a heated bathrobe had appeared. He had dressed and settled himself at the table where a piping hot plate of wonderful food had suddenly appeared before him. A bottle of chilled red wine had also been sent up and Severus was grateful for the temporary reprieve that good alcohol would offer him from his emotions.

The alcohol did wonders to relax him and he fell asleep early. Shortly after midnight, however, he was awakened by a light tapping on the window of his room. It had taken him a few seconds to realize that the tapping was an owl that wasn't going to leave till it got his attention. With a sigh of aggravation he pushed the blankets away and went to the window. As soon as he opened it a black owl flew hooting frantically. By instinct Severus held out his arm and the owl flew to him. It immediately landed and became silent as Severus reflexively scratched the bird under its beak.

Suddenly he had realized what he was doing and lifted his arm to stare at the bird. Black owls were not common. In fact they were the breed of owls that Voldemort had kept to give as gifts to his followers. Only the inner circle had owls such as these.

"Hermes?" He asked in disbelief. The black owl fluffed its feather and hooted happily. The reaction of the bird caused more confusion in Severus' mind. Hermes was one of a pair of owls that Voldemort had given him when his son had been born. Hermes' brother was Lancelot and was a present to his son. Severus had seen neither owl in fifteen years. Severus was confused and frustrated by the memories that Hermes was bringing back. He looked down to find a letter attached to the owl's leg. He had immediately taken Hermes over to an owl perch by the bed and the bird hopped from his arm to the perch and held out his leg.

Severus removed the letter and turned it over in his hands. There was no address. All the envelope had written on it was his name in delicate script. "_Severus Snape"_ He recognized the handwriting instantly. He would have known Ana's handwriting anywhere. With trembling hands he had opened the letter and stared at the items included within. The first thing he removed was a letter addressed to him.

_The letter_

_My Dearest Sev:_

_If you are reading this then sometime during the last sixteen years I was killed or something has happened to me that has prevented me from stopping the sending of this letter. I am terribly afraid that something will indeed happen and I will not be there to protect you and our darling Malachi. _

_I believe that Albus Dumbledore will try to use you against Lord Voldemort. I do not know what he will do or how he will go about accomplishing this but I fear that something will happen. I do not want my family to be manipulated like tools and I fear for our son's safety. This message is charmed with extensive anti-memory charms that will remove any memory spell that has been cast on you. If Dumbledore is manipulating you these spells should allow you to remember the truth. If you are still in the service of the Dark Lord and nothing has changed then you will remember nothing and my fears will remain unconfirmed. This letter is also charmed to only be sent if both you and Malachi are alive. _

Severus had stopped reading at that point and stared at the words, "_if both you and Malachi are alive."_ Was it possible that his son still lived? With shaking hands he had continued reading.

_I have placed charms on these letters so they will only seek out the distinct magical auras of you and Malachi. If Malachi is not with you then you must seek him out and protect him from Dumbledore. He is our son Severus and will need his father when he finds out the truth about his past, if there is truth to find out. I don't know what will happen. This package will be sent when our son turns sixteen. I hope I am there to see that wonderful day but if I am not then he will at least know that his mother loves him. _

_I sent Malachi his birth certificate, my birth certificate and several items that I do not want to see come to harm. With those items he might try to seek you out. If you can please find him first. He needs to know that his father loved him. I implore you to do whatever you can to protect our son Severus._

_Also never forget that no matter what has happened to me that I loved you, our son, and our lord more then anything in the world. _

_With love:_

_Your most loving wife and soul mate _

_Ana._

Severus had stared at the letter in disbelief. Malachi was still alive? That thought repeated itself over and over in his head as he sat there. The letter now lay forgotten on the table beside the bed and Severus tried desperately to stop the shaking of his fingers as he had started removing items from the envelope. His wife had sent him a small album of photos, legal documents, gifts that the couple had given each other throughout their marriage and her jewelry box.

He had opened the box with trembling hands and found several things his wife had cherished above all else. The first thing he noticed was the wedding rings that he and Ana had given each other. He had missed that ring and had never known until now what had happened to it. The other object that caught his eye was a locket. He had opened it to find two small pictures. One was of Malachi shortly before his first birthday and the other was a picture of the three of them after his son's first birthday party. They had been curled up on the couch with his son and wife asleep against him.

The simple had pictures brought tears to his eyes. As he had looked at the pictures other memories that had obviously been repressed by charms started to reveal themselves. He was lying in a shaking heap on the bed as wave after wave of sensory information started crashing through him. He was afraid he would get lost in the tide of memories and quickly used the occlemency he had learned from his master to set up shields about what was new and what he had believed was accurate.

When the tide had finally stopped Severus decided that he needed to mediate to best sort the information out. He carefully prepared his mind and waded into the tide. As he sorted things he carefully made amendments to his actual memory one incident at a time. The process was exhausting and took a couple hours but he managed to get through everything and form a new timeline that made sense.

_Memories _

_The first thing he found out was that the Potter baby had been born and the next morning Albus had received an urgent floo call from James. Severus had been in Dumbledore's office at the time. He had been able to hear James blubbering on about Harry being dead before the old wizard could get the man to shut up. Severus had been overjoyed by the information he had received but pretended as if he had heard nothing before he had excused himself. _

_The day after that he and his family had been attacked by a strike team personally led by Dumbledore. The man had killed Ana and taken Severus and Malachi back to Hogwarts. Severus remembered the emotional numbness and terror that had flooded though him when he had been separated from his son. At the time he had no idea what had happened to his the child. Then he had been dragged before Dumbledore and the man had turned toward him. As the man had done so he had found his son asleep on the man's lap. Anger had overwhelmed him and he had demanded the boy be given to him and that Dumbledore had no right to do what he was done. _

_The headmaster had laughed and told him that he knew exactly what he was doing. He was making sure the wizarding world got what it deserved. They needed a savior and the Potter's son was dead so that hope was dead. Dumbledore had known that Severus had overheard part of the conversation with James, and he was going to make sure that Severus got what his years as a Death Eater made him deserve. Dumbledore had told him that he had arranged the attack and that Malachi would be placed with the Potters whose memories would be modified. Malachi son would grow up as their child and Severus would never remember what Dumbledore had done. _

_Severus remembered sitting their in the chair across from Dumbledore's desk as the feeling of panic had risen inside of him. There was no way he was willingly going to let that madman do something like that to his son. In the end he really had no choice though. A simple body bind was all that had been needed and he got to watch for three agonizing hours as his son had been force feed every appearance changing potion and every charm imaginable was used to make the changes long lasting. _

_By the time that bastard was done his son was an exact replica of the Potter's 3 day old infant. Then to add insult to injury he called the Potters by floo and he had gotten to watch from under an invisibility cloak as Dumbledore erased their memories and gave them his son as theirs. _

_Once they had gone Dumbledore proceeded to edit his memories so he believed that Malachi and Ana had died at the hands of Voldemort. Believing that Voldemort had betrayed he had confessed his role as a Death Eater and became the man's spy. _

There had been other memories that he had edited as well but they were minor in comparison to that revelation. When he was finished Severus had felt drained and an emptiness he had never felt had filled his soul.

With an aggravated sigh he had looked at the clock. It was only about 3:00 or 3:30 am and he knew that if I was going to correct what had happened he had to find Harry before it was too late. Within minutes he had collected his things and called Hermes to him. He had told the bird to fly to Malfoy manor. He had then written a quick note to Lucius which informed the man that he would be visiting on matters pertaining to family and to expect his arrival with a guest.

Such a cryptic message was sure to get the man's attention. He and Severus were related after all and the man had loved Ana and Malachi almost as much as Severus had. There was no doubt in Severus' mind that Lucius would help him set things straight. Before Severus could go to Malfoy Manor he first needed to find out how much Harry knew about his past.

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Reviewer Questions:

Nauvarion: You asked why Harry and Draco are in different years because they are the same age and would be in the same level. You are right in a way. Malachi, Severus' son is the same age as Draco but Harry Potter, James' son is a year younger.

As explained in this chapter Dumbledore changed Malachi's appearance so he would look like the infant the Potter's lost. He then warped the memories of anyone who knew the Potter baby died so that this"minor" fact was forgotten. If this still doesn't make sense email me orreview again asksing for clarification.

Keep reviewing,I appreciate each and every one.


	4. Fifteen Years

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter. Please don't sue me.

Here is the new chapter guys. I hope everybody enjoys this story as much as I enjoy writing it.

Keep the reviews coming and don't feel bad about telling me if you think something is wrong. I appreciate good strong critcs of my work. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope to hear from you guys again in the future.

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Harry pulled his mother's diary from amongst the other items she had sent him and made himself comfortable on his bed. He flipped to the first page and started reading through the entries. Some of them were short, nothing more then a couple sentences. Others were detailed and deep.

The deeper entries gave him details into a death eaters life that he never would have known about otherwise. After only a couple entries he had realized the importance of his mother and father within Voldemort's organization. He also realized that the Snape family had a couple secrets that his mother would mention but never elaborate on.

The entries that had interested him most however, were the entries that detailed his mother's fears for herself and her family. He learned some about the work that his mother had done but mostly the information was about his father and how the man could possibly be manipulated. These entries also almost always included a section about Severus' strength of will and force of mind. The man had been personally trained by Voldemort so information he was allowed to access was never forgotten and could never be given out against the man's will.

It surprised Harry how difficult some of the exercises to protect one's mind were and through this knowledge Harry was able to gather a deeper understanding of the man he would most likely call father at some point in his life. Severus was his father after, all and his father was a man that was dedicated to his family above all else. Severus' world had revolved around his wife and son and it made Harry's heart ache to think that he could have grown up with a loving mother and father.

Instead of a family he had grown being hated, despised, and envied. He had no one to turn to, Sirius had died at the end of Harry's fourth year and Remus really wasn't someone he was comfortable talking to. He could have turned to Dumbledore, but his council was no longer an option.

Harry had felt like a fool as he sat on his bed contemplating what to do with the information he had received. Suddenly it felt as if his entire experience within the wizarding world had been fake. He was worried that all the people he considered friends were simply plants placed by Dumbledore to guide him down the right path. Hagrid had been his first contact with the world. The half-giant vehemently hated every aspect of the wizarding world that was even remotely related to Slytherin. He had colored Harry's perceptions from the very first day. Then he had met the Weasleys on the train to Hogwarts. He had been so angered when Draco insulted the first friend he had ever had that he had completely disregarded anything that the elder boy said.

Dumbledore had made sure that Harry arrived at Hogwarts with pre-conceived notions about the light and dark wizards that made up the world. Slytherins were the evil that shouldn't be trusted. This belief also molded him to follow in the footsteps of Lily and James Potter, after all who ever believed the son of Lily and James Potter would end up in Slytherin? Harry now cursed himself for not listening to the sorting hat during his first year. If he had let the hat place him like it was supposed to do then he would have had a one up on Dumbledore. He would have probably learned to respect his father rather then hate him.

"_That will change."_ Harry promised himself. _"I'm going to find my father and prove to Dumbledore that not all wizards can so easily be crushed under the pad of his thumb. The arrogant fool thinks he has destroyed all resistance within his precious tool but I will teach him the meaning of what it is to suffer._"

Suddenly Harry heard noise downstairs. He glanced at the clock which read shortly after 4 am. Confused and more then a little nervous about who could be showing up in Surrey at 4 in the morning he grabbed the things his mother had sent him and placed them back in the letter they had arrived in. He then shoved the letter under the corner of his desk. It would not be immediately found there if something happened to him.

Harry looked around the room and seeing nothing that would incriminate him to what had occurred earlier grabbed his wand and moved silently out of his room and down the hall.

Severus arrived a couple streets over from Privet drive. He did not want to apparate any closer to the house because the pop of his sudden appearance would surely be noticed so close to the safe-house of Dumbledore's savior. He quickly cast a spell to change his clothes from the billowing robes he had been wearing to something far less noticeable. The robes became a black shirt with a collar and a pair of dark blue jeans with. Boots completed the attire. Sighing he pulled his hair back.

When he was convinced that he looked like a young man on his way home after some late night party he made his way toward the house where he son was located. He finally reached the wards where he picked up the pace a little bit. As he stepped over the threshold of where the wards should have begun he was surprised to feel nothing. There were no wards on the house. This disturbed him and he quickened his pace toward the house.

He reached the front door of Number Four Privet Drive and pulled out his wand. He whispered a soft Alohomora and the lock on the door clicked open. He opened the door quietly and stepped inside shutting the door after him. He looked around in disgust at the pictures of the Dursleys on the wall. Suddenly a noise caught his attention. It was almost un-hearable but when you spent years as a member of the Dark Lord's inner circle and several more as a spy you learned to pay attention to the smallest detail.

Severus looked up the stairwell to find a rather nervous looking Harry Potter staring back at him. _"He's changed"_ was the first thought that came into his head. Harry looked much less like James and more like him, and the eyes, well they were definitely Ana's. At that moment and doubt Severus had about the boy being his son disappeared and he knew that he was going to protect the boy to the best of his ability.

Harry made it to the top of the stairs just in time to see the door close behind Severus. The man was dressed in a normal outfit for a change and Harry liked what he saw. His father was much less intimidating without the billowing black robes. Right now Severus was looking at the pictures of the Dursleys with a look of disgust on his face. Harry would have been content to let the man look around as much as he wished but he obviously made some noise because the man immediately turned and looked straight at him.

There was a mixture of shock and disbelief as the man took in his appearance and Harry realized that the two of them did look quite a bit alike since his appearance had started to change. Harry swallowed past the sudden lump that had formed in his throat as he started walking down the stairs toward the older man.

"Professor, what brings you here in the middle of the night?" Harry was pretty sure he knew the reason for the man's visit but he wanted to hear it from the man's mouth. Severus seemed at a loose to speak for a second but quickly regained his composure.

"I received a message by owl tonight and it disturbed me greatly. I needed to find out if what that letter said was true." At the elder man's words Harry relaxed a little bit.

"What kind of message sir?" Severus sighed, he hoped the boy was just feeling him out and wasn't actually clueless. He scanned the boy and noticed that his wand was gripped firmly in his hand and that Harry appeared ready and willing to use it if he saw Severus as s threat. Severus felt the need to be honest with him.

"It was about my family." He watched Harry's reaction carefully as he spoke. There was no surprise in the boy's face which relieved Severus and he felt a well of pride spring up within him. The boy knew when something was serious. Before he could continue with what he was saying Harry turned and headed upstairs. He returned a couple minutes later with a letter similar to the one Severus had received.

"Did it have something to do with this?" Harry asked cautiously. Severus nodded wearily.

"Yes Harry I believe it does. If that envelope contains what I believe it does then we have both been the victims of a grand conspiracy. He watched as a dark smile spread across his son's face.

"If what we are thinking is true father, then I say that victims of a grand conspiracy is far too gentle. I would say pawns in a power struggle would be more accurate." Harry opened the envelope and pulled out a letter. "I received a fifteen year old letter this evening telling me that I am your son. Is that true sir?" Severus surveyed his son and nodded. He noticed something he had never noticed about the boy as he did this. There was a distinct glimmer of hope that he would say yes.

"Yes I think you are indeed my son." Severus closed the distance between them and took the letter from the boy. He read over it quickly before looking back at Harry. The boy appeared lost in his thoughts and slightly overwhelmed.

"Malachi?" Severus asked quietly. "Is it all right that I call you by that name? I know that this is all rather sudden." Harry looked at the older man and nodded.

"It's okay to call me by my name sir. It is what you named me after all." Severus nodded he was not going to argue with Harry here and now.

"We need to leave immediately. It is not safe here. I do not want Dumbledore finding us here. Pack your things quickly we are leaving." Harry didn't say another word as he turned and practically ran upstairs. Severus could hear his son gathering his things and throwing them in his trunk. Within five minutes Harry was making his way back downstairs.

Hedwig and Lancelot glided down behind him and landed on Severus' shoulder. Lancelot was clearly happy to see the elder wizard while Hedwig was much calmer and respectable. Harry watched the interaction and felt a small grin form on his face as his father was suddenly surrounded by owls.

The man reached up and scratched Lancelot under his beak before doing the same to Hedwig. She hooted softly in appreciation and Severus turned to Harry.

"You have a good pair of owls here. They will serve you loyally." He looked over his son's scruffy appearance and meager belongings. "Is this all you have?" Harry nodded and looked a little upset.

"The Dursleys didn't care about me. They aren't even here for the summer. They decided to spend the whole holiday in Florida on the beach."

"That explains the lack of wards around the house. At least they will not be here to see us leave." Severus pointed his wand at Harry's trunk. "Reducio." Harry's trunk immediately shrunk and Severus picked it up and placed it in his pocket. He did the same for Harry's broom. When everything was ready to go he lifted his arm and looked at the two owls.

"Lancelot take Hedwig to Malfoy manor. Hermes will be waiting for you there." With a hoot of understanding the two owls took off through the door that Severus quickly opened for them. When they were gone Severus turned back to Harry to find the boy leaning nervously against the staircase.

"Why did you send them to Malfoy Manor?" He asked.

"Lucius is related to me. He will help us figure this out. I also know I can trust him. This is a complicated situation Malachi. Voldemort will have to be informed that you are alive and under what circumstances you survived. He will not be happy." Severus fell silent as several thoughts clicked into place all at once.

"Of course." He muttered. Harry looked at the man in confusion.

"Of course what sir?"

"It all makes sense, god why couldn't I see it before. It all makes sense now." Severus suddenly realized that Harry was not following his train of thought and decided to elaborate. "Lucius and I entered into an agreement with Voldemort when we found out that our wives were pregnant. The agreement was that Voldemort would not harm either you or Draco until you reached the age where you could consciously make the choice whether or not to follow him. If he broke the pact he would loose his power due to his betrayal."

Harry still looked confused but then it clicked. "That's why I was able to defeat him as an infant? It wasn't Lily's love for her son. It was a pact of no harm." Guilt suddenly overtook him and his knees felt weak but he managed to remain standing. "They died in vain for protecting me." The elder wizard spoke quietly to his son.

"Yes they did die needlessly. If Dumbledore hadn't interfered with their lives they might still be alive because Voldemort wouldn't have gone after them so harshly." Suddenly Harry raised his eyes and locked gazes with his father.

"I want revenge against Dumbledore for what he did to our family." Severus could not help but feel the tiny bit of pride he felt for his son swell as he nodded.

"I promise you Malachi that I want revenge just as much as you do. To get that revenge we must get to Malfoy manor and inform Lucius of what has happened.

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Well that's it for this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys. Thanks for reading and please review


	5. Lucius' reaction

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter related. Please don't sue me. 

Okay first off let me say **THANK YOU!** to everyone who has reviewed so far. The outpouring of feedback for this story has been wonderful. At last count this story had 26 reviews and there are at least that many people who added me to their author alert lists. Thanks so much.

The reviews have been positive so far and I appreciate that. However, if you have a complaint and want to nicely voice it I understand. No writer is perfect and I know I have my flaws. Please tell me what they are so I can make my stories better.

I don't think any reviews had questions I need toaddressso I'll let you get on with the story.

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_Last time_

"_I want revenge against Dumbledore for what he did to our family." Severus could not help but feel the tiny bit of pride he felt for his son swell as he nodded._

"_I promise you Malachi that I want revenge just as much as you do. To get that revenge we must get to Malfoy manor and inform Lucius of what has happened._

Harry had nodded and Severus removed his wand from the holster on his wrist. The elder wizard looked around the foyer of the Dursley's home until his eyes settled on a small stone figure that the family had picked up on a vacation one year. He reached over and picked up the statue and quickly muttered the words that would turn the item into a portkey.

He held the object out to Harry and waited until the boy placed his hand on it. When they were both ready Severus spoke the word to activate the item. As he spoke he watched Harry's face and saw the nervousness that arose as the portkey activated. His son's face was quickly lost as he felt the pull of the portkey at his naval.

A few seconds later the two wizards stood at the very edge wards surrounding the Malfoy property. It was still too early in the morning for the son to begin rising and the cool darkness of the night closed in around them. Harry moved closer to Severus as the gravity of what was happening to him finally started setting in. Severus seemed to understand how the younger wizard felt and muttered a quick spell to conjure a warm cloak. He wrapped the garment around Harry's shoulders. This would allow the boy a bit of privacy for the time being.

Harry did not expect a cloak to be wrapped around his shoulders but he was grateful for the gesture from his father. It was still so hard to believe that Severus was his father and the man continued to amaze him. He was so calm and collected. _"He has to be, his role as a spy would allow him to be no less." _As Harry surveyed the man who he had so recently found to be his father he began to notice things he would not have noticed before. He suddenly realized that the elder wizard was anything but calm. Harry could tell by the man's stance that he was ready to defend himself and his son if the need arose.

The uneasy of the man before him made Harry feel a little better. He realized the risk that was involved in this situation. Severus was going to have to announce himself as a spy in front of Lucius Malfoy and then go before the Dark Lord to announce the same thing. The odds were high that both he and Severus would be killed on sight.

"_Isn't death better then living as a pawn?" _Harry asked himself silently. _"I know I would rather embrace death then serve a master against my will."_ For a second Harry wanted to back out and leave. He wanted to go back to his old life where he had been oblivious. Truthfully though, that was running away and he was through running. He had been a pawn of Dumbledore's since before he was even conscious of his actions. _"I don't want to run. I want to make him pay for what he has done." _

Suddenly another thought occurred to Harry. _"Won't betraying Dumbledore and pledging my services to Voldemort be like trading one master for another?" _The thought perplexed Harry but he realized as he pondered the situation that destiny his life was simply setting itself back on course. _"I was born to serve the Dark Lord, this is a choice I would have willingly made already if it weren't for Dumbledore's interference. I would rather serve a master I chose to serve then one who forces me to serve him."_

Harry looked over at his father. The elder wizard appeared deep in thought but he noticed Harry eyeing him and turned towards his son.

"Are you ready for this? There is no going back after we enter the wards." Harry nodded

"_I would rather serve a master I chose to serve then one who forces me to serve him." _With this thought in his head Harry made the first move and stepped beyond the edge of the Malfoy wards. He looked back at his father and the man's face broke into a satisfied smile. The words he said as he crossed the wards to join his son surprised Harry.

"You have all the qualities of a true Slytherin prince. I was blind to them up until now. You lead when you most, you are not afraid to seek revenge against those who harm you, and you can be cunning when you must be. If it hadn't been for that overwhelming Gryffindor brashness you would have been in Slytherin." Harry smirked.

"You are right, if he hadn't been for my stubborn brashness I never would have argued with the Sorting Hat till it placed me in Gryffindor. Then you would have had to deal with me rather then McGonagall." Severus stopped and stared at the boy.

"The hat wanted you in Slytherin and you talked it down? I've never heard of a student able to do that before." Harry nodded and looked at the ground.

"It said I would be great if I were in Slytherin." Severus studied the younger wizard before him. Before now he had always seen Harry as a spoiled little brat with no will to be great. To him Harry had been a carbon copy of James Potter; in truth he hadn't been far off. This boy, this Harry, was a complex young man with goals and aspirations that Severus never would have guessed at. They continued walking in silence toward the manner until Harry interrupted his thoughts when he spoke again.

"I never wanted to be famous when I was growing up. Loved yes, but famous never. Do you have any idea what it was like to be eleven years old and suddenly informed that I was the most famous wizard to live since Merlin and Voldemort? I've always wondered who wanted to be my friend because I was Harry, not because I was famous. I was never sure until recently. I believed they wanted to be my friends but then when they completely abandoned me over the summers I began to realize they wanted the fame." Severus nodded slightly.

"That is one of the dangers that we all face at some point in our lives. I won't lie to you Malachi, if both of us live through the events that face us in the near future then you will see a lot of that kind of behavior from people. There are certain people though that you will always be able to turn to. The Snape house is one of the most powerful in pure-blood society. Our family has been pure since it was founded. The Malfoys are related to the Snape's and the ties between the two houses run deep. Lucius and Draco act like they do because it is what is required by their status. In truth family is a big deal." Severus looked up toward the manor which they had been slowly approaching and Harry followed his gaze.

The manor was huge and beautiful. Distinct Gothic architecture and elaborate stone meddled to create a building that was meant to inspire awe in those who stood before it. The grounds were neat and well kept with distinct pathways leading throughout the gardens. Harry could identify numerous plants from the times he had tended his aunts flower beds and could appreciate the beauty that grew around him.

"The gardens are wonderful." He told his father as they made their way toward the house at a slightly faster pace. Severus nodded.

"They are Narcissa's pride and joy. She oversees their planting and maintenance personally each season." The revelation surprised Harry. He had only met Narcissa Malfoy once, during the Quidditch World Cup. He had never pictured the stern woman as a person who took pleasure from gardening.

The two wizards finally reached the door and Severus knocked. They waited for a couple minutes and Severus was about to knock again when the door opened to reveal a house elf.

"Master Severus. It is a pleasure to see you. Master Lucius is waiting in his study, he informed me to bring you to him as soon as you arrived." Severus bowed slightly to the house elf.

"Thank you Kala, lead the way." The house elf returned the bow and gestured for them to come inside. She then closed the door and began leading them through the halls of Malfoy Manor. Harry, having never been here before, was quickly lost but Severus seemed confident in the path they took. Not too long after Kala stopped in front of a set of heavy oak doors.

"His Lordship is inside sir. I will announce your arrival." The little house-elf immediately slipped into the room leaving Severus and Harry to wait. They did not have to wait long before she returned. "He will see you now." She stated. Severus nodded in acceptance and led the way with Harry trailing behind.

Lucius stood from his desk the second they entered and stared at Severus.

"You had better have a good reason for waking me out of a sound sleep Severus." The man seemed agitated but his mood seemed to calm as he took in Severus' expression. "What happened Severus? It must be something important or you would not have come. You said it was a matter of family." Many things that were unspoken hung in the air between the two elder wizards as Severus motioned Harry forward.

"At midnight I received a message by owl. It made me aware that the state of things within my family were not as they seemed. I investigated and found that what the letter said was true." Severus motioned for Harry to remove the hood of his cloak and watched Lucius' reaction as the younger wizard did so.

The elder man's expression of one of utter disbelief at first which quickly turned to anger. "WHY IN THE HELL IS HE HERE SEVERUS? YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!" Harry flinched at the outburst but Severus had expected it and remained calm.

"If you will let me explain Lucius there will be no need for you to shout." Severus reached into his cloak and retrieved the letters that Ana had arranged for he and Harry to receive. "I believe these will answer your questions. I also suggest you stop yelling before you wake Narcissa and Draco." He placed the letters on Lucius' desk and stepped away.

The elder Malfoy was still red-faced and seething with anger as he sat down and examined the letters. He opened the one that Severus had received first and began reading. Harry and Severus watched as the color of his face slowly turned from bright red to a dull pall color. As soon as he had finished the letter he dropped it as if it had burned him and opened the letter Harry had received. If possible the color of his face palled even more.

Upon finishing the second letter he removed Harry's birth certificate and studied it. Then with his mouth in a grim line he looked up at Severus and began speaking.

"If I understand what I just read and am interpreting the situation correctly then you are telling me that HARRY POTTER is none other then your son?" Severus nodded and sank into one of the chairs across from Lucius' desk. Harry remained standing as far back as possible from the clearly upset Malfoy. "Good god Severus." Lucius ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair with a look of unease.

"You are sure that this isn't some kind of joke Severus? God please tell me it is."

"No Lucius, it's not. I received that letter this evening, on the day that my son would have turned sixteen. Harry received the other letter you read this evening as well. This is not some damn joke Lucius, this is extremely serious. Now DO YOU BELIEVE ME OR NOT?" Severus practically screamed the last part and Harry jumped slightly. Lucius leaned forward and picked up the birth certificate once again.

He read over it and sighed before removing his wand and casting a quick spell on the pieces of parchment in front of him. Immediately several colors rose above the paper and Lucius studied them intently. Mumbling to himself as he did so. There were also colored lines extending from the birth certificate. One reached to Harry, another to Severus, a third to Lucius and a fourth disappeared out the door.

Harry could make out "yellow proves age, violet proves handwriting match, red indicates aura and spellcrafters marks, white indicates authenticity on the birth certificate, green line indicates the person, blue would go to the parents, and black would go to the godparents." Suddenly Lucius waved his wand and the colors and lines disappeared. He looked up at Severus and Harry noticed that the man seemed older.

"I believe you." Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and Severus seemed to relax in his chair.

"What do we do next Lucius?" The blond smirked slightly at Severus' comment before his frown returned.

"His Lordship must be informed. He will not be happy about this." Lucius considered his next words carefully before speaking. "You are the spy he has been searching for aren't you Sev?" Severus looked down and nodded. There was no going back now; he had to tell Lucius everything. Lucius did not have to hear a reply to know that he was right. "I hope you realize that Voldemort could simply kill you both. You probably would have been safer if you had never revealed this to anyone." At those words Harry couldn't stop himself.

"There was no way I was going to be let myself continue to be Dumbledore's pawn. I would rather DIE then fight his war for him. If I agree to serve Voldemort then I will live knowing I made that choice." Harry's outburst effectively left Lucius Malfoy speechless before a small smile graced the elder man's face and he motioned for Harry to come forward.

Harry did as he was instructed and Lucius stood before walking around the desk to meet him. The elder wizard studied the boy before him and the smile broke into a grin.

"You have your mother's temper Malachi and you have her eyes. I can tell you are your mother's son." He turned to Severus. "I will arrange a meeting with Voldemort as soon as possible. For now though let me get the two of you settled so you can get some sleep."

Severus nodded wearily. His son's outburst had surprised him in more ways then one. He had expected Harry to remain silent but when he had decided against silence he had made Severus proud. The boy had spoken with a conviction that was worthy of Ana and seeing a glimmer of his wife in his son made him even prouder of the boy. He stood as Lucius called for Kala. The little house-elf appeared with a pop and Lucius ordered her to take there guests to their rooms.

With that they left Lucius and followed after the house-elf until they reached their rooms where they retired for the night in preparation for the next days.

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Yea! Another chapter down. I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter. Harry has taken the first steps down the dark path. I warned you guys this would be a DARK HARRY fic and I hope I don't upset too many people by building my story this way. 

Next chapter will include Voldemort's reaction to the news that Harry is Severus' son and the fact that Severus was the spy in his organization. You guys will also get to see how Dumbledore reacts when he finds Harry missing


	6. Internal Musings and a Fire

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, not even a little bit.

Here is the new chapter guys. I hope everyone enjoys it. This chapter is slightly different then what I promised at the end of last chapter. Sorry to those who hoped to see Voldemort's reaction in this time around. That will definitly come up soon. You guys do get to see Draco's reaction to Harry as well as Dumbledore's reaction to the news that his tool is missing. Also Harry does some soul searching in this chapter.

A quick note to all readers, as of right now this fic will NOT be slash. I don't mind slash, I think that if it is done right that it can be very good but I don't write it well and don't want to butcher it by trying.

THANKS to everyone who has reviewed so far. At the end of this chapter I will address some of the reader feeback that I have gotten so far.

Okay on to the fiction.

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Harry awoke the next morning and stretched. He looked around the elaborate bedroom and for a second forgot where he was. The previous night's events quickly returned and he leaned back on the pillows to contemplate the changes that his life had taken. 

It was almost like everything was happening in a dream, and any minute he would be woken up by the screaming of his aunt. This wasn't a dream though; he had found out that he had been used for over fifteen years. As much as he wanted the truth to be different it still stood there and glared at him. There was no escaping it and there was no going back to the oblivious life he had led before.

In truth he was nervous about the turn his life was taking. Dumbledore had killed his mother, ruined his family, and used him like a pawn. He hated Dumbledore for what he had done and he fully intended on making the man pay. Despite his hatred of the man he technically didn't hate the people he had known either. Hermione and Ginny, Fred and George, they were still his friends. As for Ron, well he had started changing. He had become jealous of the attention that Harry always received and during the tri-wizard tournament he had snapped.

He had confronted Harry in front of everyone, calling him a glory hound and an attention seeker. The situation with Hermione and Victor Krum hadn't helped matters at all and the fiery redhead had withdrawn from the golden trio. The final straw that had ended their friendship had been when Harry had returned from fighting Voldemort in the graveyard at the end of third year.

Ron had agreed with Minister Fudge when the minister declared that Harry was lying. He supported the idea that he thought Harry was just trying to get more attention then he already had. The accusations had hurt Harry deeply and he had returned to the Dursleys at the beginning of the summer in an emotionally distraught mood.

When the new term had begun at the end of the summer Harry and Ron had made a point to avoid each other. Even Hermione's attempts to act as a peacemaker couldn't help them end their feud. It didn't help that Harry was constantly being haunted by visions sent to him by Voldemort.

Then at the end of the year Sirius had died leaving Harry without the only person he felt he could talk to. Remus was, in a way family, but he never saw the man enough to form a deeper bond then what they had formed when Remus was professor. To top the year off Dumbledore had informed him that he was the subject of some stupid prophecy. He had then proceeded to send Harry back to the Dursleys so he could gain the protection of his family.

Harry remembered the shock he had experienced when he got back to Surrey only to find that his relatives, the only protection he supposedly had against Voldemort, had decided to leave Britian for the summer. They had paid off the utilities and left Harry a meager amount of money to feed himself with.

The arrival of his mother's owl had been upsetting to say the least. He had no idea how to comprehend what he had just found out. Then out of nowhere Severus had showed up and offered him a lifeline. He would have been a fool not to accept the man's help. If you were drowning and someone threw you a lifeline you grabbed it and held on

Now Harry was faced with the question of whether or not he had made the right choice by grabbing that lifeline. He was lying here in an elegant bed, in the middle of Malfoy Manor. He had pretty much told his father and Lucius that he would be willing to serve the Dark Lord if that was what it took to overthrow Albus Dumbledore. There was no doubt in his mind that nothing short of an army would be able to get Dumbledore removed from power. The death, yes death, of Albus Dumbledore would definitely through the wizarding world into chaos.

The man was the headmaster of Hogwarts, he was a decorated military leader and genius. That man had been decorated with rewards more times then Harry could count. Without his leadership there would be little resistance to Voldemort's rise to power. Did he really want to be the cause of that?

He could see the headlines now. "Boy Who Lived, Overthrows Albus Dumbledore!" The one thing wrong with that quote was that by the time Dumbledore has been overthrown Harry Potter would already be dead. Like he should have been for fifteen years. Hermione and Ginny would mourn as would Remus. Remus would mourn for a slightly different reason though. He would mourn because his last link to his past would be gone. Ron would probably feel a little remorse but would most likely gloat because he could finally live without Harry overshadowing him.

The question in Harry's mind was did Albus Dumbledore betray him deeply enough over the last fifteen years to warrant, in Harry's mind, the betrayal of his friends and all the people who depended on him? Did a baby that died peacefully in his sleep fifteen years ago, but whose name lived on in fame, deserve the rest that should have always been his? Did he, the boy who came to be known as Harry Potter want to slip out from under the weight that his namesake bore and start a life in which he wasn't famous?

The answer to all three questions was yes. For fifteen years he had staggered under the name of Potter. If he had never been a Potter then he would have had a father, and most likely a mother for most of that time. His parents weren't likely to have been attacked by Voldemort like the Potters had. He wouldn't have been abused and forced to live in a closest for ten years of his life. He wouldn't have had to deal with the fame of his namesake. He would have been Malachi Alexander Snape.

Dumbledore would die, not by the hands of Harry Potter, but by the hands of Malachi Snape. The boy that Harry Potter should have been. Harry Potter would die so the wizarding public could mourn his passing. Then he would be free to pursue his new agenda of bringing down Albus Dumbledore, with the help of his newly acquired family.

The idea of having to ally himself with Voldemort upset him quite a bit. He didn't really agree with a lot of the man's policies. He didn't want to kill innocent wizards such as Hermione. He didn't want to see her lying dead at his feet. He didn't know if he would be able to adjust if asked to torture and kill, except in the case of Dumbedore. That man would scream and beg for mercy before Harry finally killed him. It seemed only fitting that this be the case. As for his friends, well he would have to think of a way to protect them; perhaps he could even turn them to his side.

Those were problems for another day. He would cross those bridges and make those choices when he was forced to. For now though he would enjoy the fact that fortune was smiling at him for a change. He would enjoy the Malfoys hospitality and the joy that welled up in him every time he thought about the fact that he now had a family. Speaking of Malfoy hospitality he would have to compliment whoever had designed the room he was currently residing in.

The room was decorated in varying shades of cream and burgundy. The dark colored cloth was offset with beautiful dark wood for the bed, desk, and armoire. Strange, somehow he had always imagined that the Malfoys lived in a house decorated in every shade of green and silver imaginable. To see dark red, not Gryffindor red of course, and cream was a comfort.

There was a large bay window on the far wall and someone had opened the heavy curtains so early morning sunlight streamed in. Harry noticed that whoever had opened the curtains had also taken the time to lie out towels and a comfortable bathrobe for his use.

Knowing that he would have to meet with his father and the Malfoys at some point in the day Harry stood and collected the bath items. He then made his way over to the bathroom that was connected to his room. The bathroom impressed him almost as much as the room. It was decorated in shades varying shades of dark stone and tile. The large bath was sunken into the floor with steps that led into it. A collection of bath oils and soaps stood ready for use on the counter.

With a content smile Harry selected a fragrance he liked and knelt beside the tub. He turned the knobs to a warm but not hot setting and added the oil he had selected. Immediately the tub began to fill and he walked down the steps into the warm water. The water relaxed his sore muscles and he allowed himself to enjoy the calming feeling.

After a few minutes of relaxation he decided to wash his hair and finish up the bath. Once he was done he stepped out and the tub immediately began to empty. As he was stepping out he wrapped the towel around his waist and sat down in front of the mirror. He contemplated his changing reflection and found himself agreeing with Lucius. His eyes definitely were his best figure. He still looked annoyingly like James Potter and he imagined that there would be some difficult process to undergo before he was finally free of the man's image.

After drying off Harry wrapped the robe around him and made his way back into his room. He saw his trunk at the foot of his bed and knelt down before it. He expected to find his clothes but all that remained in the trunk where his personal belongings. Thinking that one of the house elves had placed his things in the armoire he walked over and opened the elegant wood doors.

Instead of his clothing he found a wide selection of casual and dress robes, as well as a selection of well made pants and shirts. He selected a set of dark green robes that matched his eyes and laid all the clothing he would need out on the bed. When he was dressed he pulled his still damp hair back into a loose ponytail with a piece of ribbon.

As he was finishing up he heard the sound of light knocking and immediately made his way to the doors. He opened them to find Lucius waiting patiently.

"Aw good, I see the clothing I had sent up fits well. That outfit suits you Malachi; it brings out your eyes." Harry nodded politely in thanks as the elder wizard continued. "Your father is downstairs at breakfast. Will you join us?" Harry considered his response before speaking.

"What about your wife and Draco? How will they take my sudden appearance at breakfast? In case you haven't noticed your son and I don't get along that well." A slight grimace passed over Lucius' face at the mention of their rivalry.

"That was not the way things were supposed to turn out I can promise you. Severus and I had hoped that you would grow up being the best of friends. Unfortunately fate is a cruel mistress. If you would like I will inform Draco privately." He paused and then smirked slightly. "As for Narcissa, she will be delighted to have her godson back so she can pamper you. She spoils Draco and I have a feeling you will be no different."

"Thank you Lucius. I would appreciate it if you explained the situation to Draco." The elder wizard nodded.

"Of course." He snapped his fingers and Kala appeared. She bowed deeply before Lucius.

"What can I do for you your lordship?"

"Kala, summon Draco to my study immediately. I will be waiting for him." Kala bowed.

"As you wish your lordship." The little elf disappeared with a pop and Lucius motioned for Harry to follow him. The boy followed the elder wizard toward his office. They walked in silence until Lucius spoke up.

"I hope you have found everything to your liking so far." Harry nodded.

"My rooms are wonderful and I appreciate you allowing me to stay." He paused for a second before speaking again. "May I ask you a few questions sir?"

"Of course, I will answer what I can but we in the Malfoy line do not know everything, despite our attempts to appear as if we do." Harry understood and spoke.

"How do you think Voldemort will take the fact that I am who I am? And second has something been done to mask my disappearance?"

"I honestly cannot answer your first question. The Dark Lord could be delighted, or he could decide to kill both of you immediately. As for the second question, Yes. I sent out a specially trained team of Death Eaters shortly after I met with you and your father. Their mission was to destroy the Dursley's home. I ordered the group leader to place replicas of your possessions in the room you used and he made it appear as if there was a struggle. I modified his memory of the incident when he returned to the manor so he knows nothing more then the rest of his team. Since your relatives had not set foot in their home for over three months the wards that were anchored to their presence were non-existent and the men had no trouble." Harry understood what Lucius was telling him. The men returned believed that you were simply out of town and I have agreed to go before Voldemort and explain my actions."

"So when Dumbledore investigates the Dark Mark over the home it will appear as if there was a struggle and I was taken as a prisoner. He will also be able to tell that the wards protecting me had not been in place for several months. As for my abductors, they know nothing more then the fact that they destroyed my safe home. That seems like it will serve us well." Lucius smirked as the pair stopped before his office and he opened the door to allow the younger wizard to enter. He waved his hand and a small panel of the wall opened up.

"Wait in there. You can come out when I tell you to do so." Harry nodded and pulled the door shut behind him as he entered the room. The room was small but it was furnished with a couple comfortable chairs and Harry quickly sat down to wait.

A couple minutes later he heard the door to Lucius' study open and Draco's voice addressing his father.

"You sent for me sir?" He could hear Lucius sigh and Draco taking a seat across from his father's desk.

"Draco I have something to tell you and the news is upsetting to say the least. Last night Severus arrived at the manor. He was not alone. You see last night he received a letter informing him that his son, whom he thought to be dead, was not actually dead." Lucius paused to, at least in Harry's assumption; see how his son was taking the news. After a second he seemed satisfied and continued. "It appears that Dumbledore killed your aunt Ana and hid your cousin Malachi away. He wanted to use the boy as a pawn against our Lord."

At Lucius' words Harry felt his hands ball into fists and his anger at Dumbledore rose in his chest. He still couldn't believe how a man so seemingly pure could have done what he had done. He had been no more then a chess piece that could be moved and manipulated until it was time for the pawn to be sacrificed for the greater good. He refocused on the conversation taking place in the room outside. Lucius was no longer speaking and he could hear Draco's voice.

"So what you are telling me is that my cousin is still alive? That is wonderful news father. Severus must be overjoyed. May I ask how Dumbledore was hiding him?" Lucius sighed.

"That is the difficult part Draco. I think it would be best if the young man informed you himself." Harry gritted his teeth as sudden nervousness gripped him. He would have to face Draco immediately. He had to force himself to stand and walk to the door of the room. As his hand touched the metal catch he stopped and took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth, either Draco would accept him or they would continue being enemies. With a new surge of confidence he tripped the latch and stepped out.

Draco had been expecting anyone but Harry Potter to step out of the listening station of his father's office. Now however he was faced with the student who had become his mortal enemy at Hogwarts. The calm look he had sported before the revelation quickly turned to a mix of shocked disbelief and anger.

"YOU?!" WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOME?" He turned toward his father. "Is this some kind of joke?" He asked his father in a slightly calmer voice? After all, Malfoys kept their tempers to themselves as much as possible and there was no way he was going to scream at this father. Lucius sighed as he looked between Harry and Draco.

"I can guarantee that this is not a joke Draco. Do you think I would tolerate his presence if it were?" Harry felt himself stiffen slightly at the elder man's words. He knew that he was talking about him before the truth had been revealed but the words still stung. "Son, this is a matter of importance. Harry, no Malachi, is part of OUR family and as such I will respect him as he deserves to be respected. YOU Draco, should know better then to question me over a matter of such importance. I would not be standing here telling you this if I did not have several measures of proof to support my claim."

Draco stood shock still as his father angrily reprimanded him. His head was spinning as he the exact implications of having Harry Potter as part of his family meant. He realized immediately that the boy should have been in his year at Hogwarts and that the boy was a pure-blooded wizard of a house that held a great deal of power in wizarding society. The Snape house was one of the eldest and richest houses in the country and he knew that Severus had, before the death of his wife, been a powerful member of Voldemort's circle. He turned to Harry and inspected the young wizard.

"So it seems you are part of the family now. This may come as a shock but I will respect you. I have grown up respecting family and pureblood society and since you are now part of it I have no other choice. However, I do not trust you and you will have to work to gain anything more then the respect that is due to a pureblood wizard." Before Harry or his father could speak Draco turned, and with a swish of his robes was out the door. Harry and Lucius shared a look and the elder wizard spoke.

"That went better then I expected. It will take him time to adjust. He is used to being an elite among purebloods. Your presence presents him with an equal in both status and intelligence. You have seen the other Slytherins in his year. Crabbe and Goyle are nothing more than thugs, Parkinson is an idiot, and the others aren't much better." Lucius paused for a second before continuing. "As much as I hated to admit it I always saw Harry Potter as a clever, quick witted boy. I never understood why the hat wasted him by placing him in Gryffindor rather then Slytherin." Harry smirked and spoke.

"That was my doing actually. The hat said I would be great if I was in Slytherin but I talked it into putting me in Gryffindor instead." Lucius chuckled, a true sign of a Slytherin, only a true Slytherin could have talked the hat out of its decision." Harry watched as Lucius stood and moved toward the door of his study.

"Your father is waiting for us at breakfast. We shouldn't keep him waiting."

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At Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore had already been awake for several hours. He was trying to decide how to handle the situation that had presented itself in the early morning hours. He had been awakened from a sound sleep to the furious clang of alarm wards. At first he thought that Hogwarts was under attack but he had quickly realized that the alarms were of a much more serious nature. 

He had gone to his office and conjured a scrying mirror. The mirror showed him a sight he had never hoped to see. There before his eyes was the site of Number Four Privet Drive partially engulfed in flames with Voldemort's Dark Mark shining brightly in the sky. There was no doubt in the man's mind that the Aurors at the ministry had already been dispatched to the site and he would have to get there immediately.

He had quickly dressed and practically run to the one spot in Hogwarts where it was possible to apparate from. He as headmaster was one of only a few to know of its existence. When he arrived at the scene he immediately was approached by the head Auror of the team. He noticed that the blaze had been put out and that a small team was going over the rubble while another team was questioning the neighbors.

"Headmaster Dumbledore" the man said respectably. "We arrived immediately upon receiving confirmation that the dark mark had been conjured. The best we can figure out is that a group of Death eaters arrived and attacked the house. I'm still waiting for reports as to whether or not anyone died in the blaze." At that point one of the inspectors walked up to the pair and handed his commander a report. The man read through it and looked back to Dumbledore.

"It would appear that no one was inside at the time sir. It appears that the blaze was started at the back of the house and we believe from footprints in the backyard that whoever arrived entered and exited the house from the back. I am told that most of Mister Potter's room is still intact and with the use of magic you could probably see the room at little risk to yourself. My men also indicate that there appeared to be signs of a struggle. There was broken glassware and the banister of the stairwell was shattered. Other signs included picture frames that were knocked from the wall and overturned chairs in the kitchen." Dumbledore listened to the report in silence. When the man finished he spoke quietly.

"Has anyone studied the wards on the house to see what happened to them?" The man was confused.

"Wards sir? There are NO wards on the house." Dumbledore stared at the man in disbelief.

"There ARE wards young man. I placed them personally. The wards were personally tailored to the inhabitants of this house. They are Mister Potter's relatives and their presence should have kept the wards intact." To prove his point he cast a spell toward the house. Much to his surprise and horror nothing reacted. There were no wards present. In bewilderment he turned to the man. "Do you have witness reports yet? I want to know how this happened. And I want to see Mister Potter's room"

"Of course Sir. I get you the reports and tell the crew that you will be coming up." With that the man turned and went over to the team that was talking to a small crowd of witnesses." Dumbledore followed close behind him and found the commander speaking to a young woman who appeared to be the head of the reports division. She approached with a scroll of paper in her hands.

"Headmaster Dumbledore sir." She intoned quietly. "I have the witness reports. I'm afraid they won't be a lot of help. The attack took place in the middle of the night and most of these people didn't wake up till after the blaze had already been set." Dumbledore rubbed his eyes wearily and nodded as he took the scroll from the woman.

"Thank you very much." He began scanning the testimony with weary eyes. When he was finished he was no closer to finding out what happened then he had been before he had read them. Slowly he approached the group of individuals. He cleared his throat and the group turned to look at him.

"I thank you all for your patience. I would like to ask you some questions about what happened before this terrible tragedy. What can anyone tell me about the Dursleys?" An elderly woman was the first to speak up.

"My name is Dana Adams. I am the Dursleys neighbor." Dumbledore smiled at her and indicated she was to continue. "I think I speak for the whole block when I say that while this is a tragedy we are glad that this happened. The Dursleys have been terrible neighbors. They are rude, uncaring individuals. They acted as if they were the most superior family on the block and they treated their nephew like dirt. That boy was the sweetest young man you could ever meet and they endlessly forced him to do choirs and anything else that they didn't want to do." She paused and looked at the group for support. Every one of them nodded in agreement and she continued. "When we found out they were leaving for the summer we were overjoyed." Here Dumbledore interrupted them.

"Excuse me did you say they left for the summer?"

"Why yes, I did. They left over three months ago for the United States. Apparently a relative of Vernon's has some real estate over there that he was letting Vernon use for the summer. They asked me to keep an eye on their nephew when he returned home. They said they didn't want the boy burning down the house or doing anything freakish while they were away. In truth I was surprised they didn't simply lock the boy out."

Dumbledore didn't really hear anything after 'they left over three months ago for the United States.' They had never even been here since Harry had returned home. That explained the lack of wards and how Harry had so easily been swept away by death eaters. He managed to look back at the woman as she finished and smiled at her.

"Thank you very much for your time Miss Adams. You have been a huge help." He pointed towards on the ministry officials. "Go talk to that young woman over there and she will dismiss you and your neighbors." The woman nodded and walked over to the group. The woman led them away from the house in order to place memory modification charms on them.

When they were gone Dumbledore made his way back to the remains of the house. The head of the inspection team met him on his way.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, I am Richard Michaels, ministry inspections. My superior told me that you wanted to inspect Mister Potter's room. Go over to my assistant Shaerry and she will cast the spells that will protect you when you go inside." Dumbledore nodded and walked over to the young woman.

She cast the spells and Dumbledore floated into the house. He knew that the upper structure of the house was weak so everyone was using levitation spells to inspect what was left. He finally reached Harry's room and stared at what he saw. There was smoke and water damage but the room had been insulated from a large part of the fire.

He could see a firebolt broomstick, now ruined, leaning in one corner and a Quidditch poster that was blackened with soot on the wall. There were spell books, parchment, and quills littered across the floor. A ruined and twisted birdcage was lying on its side near the door. The bed clothes were a mass on the floor and several glass pieces that had obviously been broken before the fire littered the floor. The door hung off its hinges as if it had been blasted loose and the curtain rod that hung above the window had been pulled down.

Having seen enough Dumbledore left the ruined house. The whole time he was cursing himself for not noticing that the wards protecting his prize had not been in place. Harry was vital for defeating Voldemort. He had not gone to all that trouble fifteen years ago to simply have his prize fighter disappear on the eve of the big match. He was going to find Harry Potter and end this damned war if it was the last thing he did.

He also cursed the Dursleys endlessly. It was their careless disregard for their charge that had caused this disaster. He vowed to find them and make them pay for causing him more work. The thought of killing them even crossed his mind. It wouldn't be the first time he had done something like this. In a war everyone had to play their role to guarantee success. The Dursleys had failed miserably in the simple task of guarding a fifteen, no sixteen year old boy. He would take great pleasure in venting his frustration over the situation on the hapless muggles.

Normally he wouldn't have a problem with muggles. This time however they were endangering sixteen years of work and organized planning. Harry could be anywhere right now. He could even be dead. Dumbledore supposed he should feel a little remorse for the boy. He had just lost Sirius Black, the man had been a role model to young Harry and Harry had been devastated by the lose. On top of that Ron Weasley had been no help. The falling out between the two friends had not gone unnoticed by the headmaster of Hogwarts. Not when he had worked so hard to put the boy in the position he had been in.

It had been Dumbledore who had asked the Weasleys to keep an eye out for poor little Harry Potter and he had hoped that their youngest son would be a life long friend. That plan had quickly gone up in smoke because poor little Ron couldn't stand to be in the shadow of greatness.

With an aggravated sigh Dumbledore approached the commander of the Auror squad and informed the man that he would be able to be reached at Hogwarts if anything else came up. Then he had returned to Hogwarts to await the backlash that Harry's disappearance would surely send through the wizarding world.

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Reader reviews: 

Nuavarion: Thanks for pointing out grammatical errors. I will go through all the chapters and try to fix some of those was soon as I have time. In regards to the things that are implied but not spoken of, those items will come into play when Voldemort is introduced. Most of them have to do with secrets from the time when Severus was still loyal.

Unknown reviewer: Sorry about the perspective switch. I try to write in third person but I have another fic I'm writing that is in first person. I'll edit the chapters as soon as I get a chance.

rozi126: I hope you enjoyed the bit with Draco. Things will get better between Hary and Draco I promise. This story will not be slash.

Princess-Fictoria: Great review thanks for your time. I hope I addressed some of your concerns in this chapter. I am writing this fic from the perspective that anyone will seek revenge if they believe the betrayal runs deep enough. Harry has suffered from the consequences of Dumbledore's actions all of his life. He lost two sets of parents because of the man's actions and he has been used like a tool since he was a year old. He has just found out the truth, he is confused, hurt and desperate for some comfort. I used the line "when you are drowning and someone throws you a lifeline you grab it and hold on for dear life." This is what has happened to Harry/Malachi. He has been given a chance to make sense of the change in his life and he is seeing that through. There will be clashes over ideology, and there are still questions in his mind but the most prominent thing for him to address is his burning need for revenge. This chapter is only the beginning of the soul searching that Malachi will go through. I hope you continue to read and give good reviews.

palanmenel and Anna Taure: You guys will get to see Voldies reaction in the next chapter most likely. I make no promises though.

Fanfiction critic anonymous: I currently don't have any pairing ideas for Malachi. If I do pair him with somebody it won't be slash. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter, review again and let me know what you thought.

To everyone else thanks for your reviews and I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.


	7. More Meetings With Family

**Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter. I am just a mere fanfiction writer stumbling along in the footsteps of giants. **

**To my reviewers: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews I have recieved so far and I just want to apologize to everyone for not updating in so long. College is insane right now and I'm extremely busy. I'll try to update more often. **

**At the end of this chapter there are answers to any questions posed in the reviews that people submitted. If there are still questions let me know. Remember that I _LOVE_ all reviews.**

**Now on with the story. I apologize for the short chapter and promise that the next one will be much longer

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Harry silently followed Lucius toward the dining room of Malfoy Manor. Both wizards were lost in their thoughts and had reached an unspoken agreement to allow the other to think as they walked.

Lucius was deep in thought about exactly what he was going to say to Voldemort when he went before the Dark Lord to explain what had transpired. He had no idea how his lord would take the news that Severus had been the traitor in their ranks for so long. Nor did he know how Voldemort would react to the fact that his long time enemy was none other then Severus' son. There was a good chance that Voldemort could simply choose to kill them both and be done with it. On the other hand Voldemort could decide to let them live. The Dark Lord had more reasons to keep Severus and his son alive then the obvious reasons.

There were things that Severus knew from the last war that Lucius had little insight into. It had always been known that Ana and Severus were the strategy experts and it was their teamwork that had brought the dark side so many victories. Lucius and Narcissa, on the other hand, had been the political leaders. It had been their job to cover up any mistakes that took place. The four young adults had been vital to their lord's success in the first campaign. Voldemort had done well when he had made them his generals.

Even though Severus was a brilliant strategist and potion's master there were still other things that tied him to the Dark Lord. These things had bound Severus and Lucius to Voldemort's service since the day they had been born. These bounds were bounds that could not be broken unless Voldemort were to die a true death and Lucius hoped that those bounds would be enough to protect Severus and his son.

While Lucius was thinking of the Dark Lord, Harry was thinking about his friends. He wondered how they would take the news that the Dursley's home had been attacked and the fact that he was missing. He could care less about Ron's reaction to the news. The other boy had been a total jerk for a long time and Harry was not about to give any thought to Ron.

The reactions of Hermione, Ginny, and Remus were the reactions that he was most worried about. He knew that the girls would take it extremely hard and that Remus would be beside himself. After Sirius' death near the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament the werewolf had vowed to take care of the last cub of his pack.

Harry pulled himself from his thoughts as he and Lucius reached the dining hall. Lucius pulled open the enormous doors and waved for Harry to enter in front of him. Harry did so and scanned the room. The room was large and grandly decorated, a long table stood as the centerpiece to the room and large windows overlooking the gardens lined the outer walls. As the two wizards entered Severus and Narcissa stood from their positions at the table and Narcissa practically ran to Harry and embraced him in a warm hug. Harry was caught off guard by the unexpected move but quickly gathered himself and allowed the woman to hold him.

"Severus told me everything Malachi dear. I've missed having you around so much." Narcissa stepped back and surveyed the boy before her. "Why you are nothing but skin and bones. We can fix that." She snapped her fingers and a house elf appeared. The little elf bowed as low as she possibly could before speaking.

"What can Issy do for Mistress Malfoy?"

"Issy, immediately prepare breakfast for my godson. I want the best the kitchen can make. He needs to gain some weight. Now go, do it quickly." If possible the elf bowed lower.

"Issy will immediately do as Mistress commands." With that she disappeared and Narcissa guided Harry over to the table where she motioned for him to sit.

"Issy is by far our best cook. You will only eat the best while in our home." Before Harry could reply dishes of wonderful smelling food began appearing on the table. Narcissa looked delighted as she surveyed the offerings and grabbed a plate from the pile. She quickly filled it and placed it before Harry. "Go ahead and eat." She commanded. Harry was going to object but the food smelled delicious and he really hadn't eaten a lot over the first part of summer holiday. When Narcissa was sure that he was eating properly she motioned to Lucius and Severus.

"Come eat you two, don't stand there with your mouths hanging open. Malachi is my godson and I intend to do the job I haven't gotten to do for fifteen years." Both men immediately nodded and took their seats at the table.

The first part of the meal passed in silence as the four wizards ate in silence. The first bits of conversation started between Severus and Lucius. Harry chose to ignore them and concentrated on his meal until he realized that Narcissa was watching him quietly. He looked up and met the woman's eyes. She appraised him for several seconds before smiling at him.

"I hope you have found everything in rooms in order. I had new robes sent to your room shortly after Severus informed me of your circumstances. I hope they fit you well." Harry nodded.

"I definitely appreciate your kindness. I had expected to continue wearing the hand-me-down clothes that my relatives had supplied me but the robes and new clothes are much more comfortable." Narcissa smiled kindly in relief.

"I'm glad dear. You are my godson and you deserve only the best after so many years of ill treatment. If I ever get my hands on Dumbledore I will tear him limb from limb with every good curse that I've learned over the years." Harry surveyed the woman before him. He would have never guessed her to be a strong dark witch but now that he sat in her presence and felt the anger simmering inside her he promised himself that he would never underestimate a woman ever again.

"If you are lucky you will get your chance." He smirked slightly. "I will remember not to incite your wrath in the future." Narcissa laughed quietly.

"It is not my wrath you will have to worry about dear. Lucius and Severus are the true masters of the dark arts in this home. They are seconds only to our lord." With that the pair lapsed into silence and shortly after Lucius and Severus finished their conversation.

The elder Malfoy stood and spoke. "I must take my leave. I am to meet with our master in just over an hour and I will not be late for such an important meeting." With that he turned and swept out of the dining hall. With Lucius' words Harry felt a little dread work its way into his stomach. He glanced over at Severus and noticed that the man was equally nervous but that he hid his anxiety much better then Harry was able to. A couple minutes later Severus also stood.

"Lucius has arranged for me to meet with a fellow potions and transfiguration expert." He turned toward Harry. "I would like you to attend that meeting so the two of us can analyze that spells and potions that were used to change your appearance." Harry nodded and also stood. When his father turned to leave he followed the elder wizard out of the dining hall. It had no idea where they were headed and even less of a clue as to what had been used to make him look like James Potter.

He was also worried about Lucius and the man's meeting with Voldemort. He hoped that the spells holding his appearance could be easily removed and that Voldemort was accepting of what had happened fifteen years before. Somehow we doubted that either instance would go smoothly but he kept his fears to himself and followed his father toward the potions labs of Malfoy Manor. He had a feeling that he would soon find out the answers to both issues that confronted him within the day.

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**Questions posed in reader reviews:**

**Princess-Fictoria: **That is an amazing review. You brought up a ton of philosophy and moral thinking that I had not considered. I'll try to work some of them if they fit. Remember though, this IS a DARK Harry fic. I intend him to go dark that was my purpose for writing this story. I won't completely throw the moral compass out the window though. As for the death of the Potters v. the death of Ana: Think of it this way, in Harry's mind Ana's death was completely unnecessary. She was killed simply BY Dumbledore, he killed her personally I changed that in the earlier chapter. He did what he wanted to do. He could have wiped her memory but he chose to kill her instead. The death of the Potters was one of necessity. They stood in Voldemort's way as he rose to power. They had to die to fulfill a higher goal. Voldemort killed them not because he could but because he had too and Malachi will come to realize that eventually. As the story progresses you will find out more things that bind Malachi and his family to Voldemort and those bindings will not lead them astray from the Dark Lord. I hope you keep giving me such great reviews in the future.

**Adora-Chillwind: **Yes, this is a DARK Harry story, he will be dark, that is why I decided to write this story. As for Dumbledore's death, yes he will die I already have that planned but I won't give away how or when it will be in the story. I haven't decided if I want to kill Ron or not. I definitly hate him though so there is a good possibility. No rampages on Harry's part. He's not a murderer like Dumbledore. He doesn't want to kill senselessly and without reason

**Nuavarion: **I hope I fixed a lot of the mistakes and that this chapter has fewer of them. Let me know what you think.

**HecateDeMort: **I still haven't decided 100 on a love interest for Malachi. If it is anybody it will most likely be Ginny. She has the most connection to the Dark from her experiences with Tom Riddle and I think she would understand the lure of the dark best. If I decide I'm sure you will see it when I post it.

**DarkBlade The Damned: **I'm trying to be more conscious of grammer/spelling. I haven't considered a beta and I really don't want one right now. If I had a more solid posting schedule I would consider it but my writing get written when my brain decides it is ready to write. Keep reviewing and if you see a major mistake point it out.

**Croesan: **You mentioned that you had timeline problems. To clear this up I'll keep it simple. Draco is the only person who is in a different year. Book One is exactly like book one except that Draco is a second year student when Harry is sorted.Ginny arrives at Hogwarts just like she does in Book Two and it isn't until the events of Book Two that my story begins to differ from the timeline. If you still have problems when let me know.

**Anne Taure: **Yep, Dumbledore won't stop cursing for a long time. He won't meet with Severus for a while though and when he finds out the truth it will be too late. (a little foreshadowing there) Anyway, keep reading and reviewing.

**Rozi126**: Don't fret, Dumbledore will find out the truth, and much more then he ever hoped to know soon enough. As for Harry/Malachi attending Hogwarts he won't be. Don't worry it will all be made clear in later chapters I promise.

**Trinity-Unicorn**: As it stands in mymind now Ginny will probably follow Harry down the dark path. I'm not totally sure but that's the way things look now.

**FlameofShadows**: I'm glad you like the plot. I'm trying to be as original as possible in writing this fic. Keep up the reviews.

To everyone else who said how much they loved the story I thank you all and hope you review again soon.


	8. Voldemort and Remus

**Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter. All the characters and story lines belong to their creators and I am just stumbling along as a humble fanfiction writer trying to fill the shoes of great writers.**

**Notes: Sorry for the long time between updates. Classes have been busy and I've been waiting for a very special occasion to put up a new chapter. What is this special occasion you ask? Well Ifinally have over 100 people who have added me to their author alert lists. Yes 101 people are actively interested in reading the next chapter of a current story. Thanks to everyone who thinks I'm that good of a writer.**

**Reviews: There have been a lot of questions and reviews. Those questions will be addressed at the end of the chapter. I try to answer all the questions I recieve so if I miss one by chance just post it in another review. Remember I love reviews and want tons and tons of them.**

Okay on with the story.

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After leaving the dining room Lucius quickly made his way through the manor toward his rooms. Once there he immediately raised his wand and a hidden panel in the wall opened. He entered and took his death eater robes from where they hung within. The idea to have all the death eaters wear identical black cloaks and stark white masks had been Severus' idea. Voldemort had immediately followed through with the suggestion. They had all agreed that the bright white of the masks would be far more terrifying in the dead of night and the tactic had worked.

Thinking back on the days when he and Severus had been their lord's right and left hands brought back bittersweet memories for Lucius. He remembered how they and their wives had led the forces of Lord Voldemort to one victory after another. Severus and Anastasia had been an amazing team when it came to drawing up battle plans and Dumbledore's forces included no one anywhere near comparable in the strategy department.

With a sigh Lucius pulled the heavy looking robe over his clothing and inspected himself in the mirror. The robe had been charmed to be feather light and loose so movement was easy. It had also been charmed to make the wearer look 20-30 pounds heavier than hey actually were. That idea had been another of Severus' brilliant ideas. It was much easier to hide if the authorities were looking for men whom they thought weighed considerably more than they actually did.

Next he placed the mask over his face. He mentally reached out to touch the wards that flowed around his home and those wards immediately embraced his mind. He told them what he wished to do and immediately apparated from the house.

He appeared in the safe room of the riddle manor. The room had been charmed to allow the members of the Dark Lord's elite to apparate and dissipate from his residence without fear of the manor wards. He immediately made his way toward the dark lord's throne room and was surprised when the doors immediately opened when he entered the corridor. He could see Voldemort sitting on his throne at the end of the long hall and the man seemed to be awaiting him. The dark lord had changed since his rebirth after the tri-wizard tournament. With Severus' help he had regained his youthful appearance but power radiated from him like a sun and he could intimidate even the most hardened death eater with a simple glare.

Not wishing to anger his Lord Lucius quickened his pace and entered Voldemort's throne room. Immediately upon entering he fell to his knees as a sign of respect. He felt his lord probing his mind and finally heard the words he had been waiting for.

"Speak Lucius." Lucius immediately stood and walked the rest of the distance between himself and the dark lord's throne. When he got close enough he knelt and kissed the hem of Voldemort's outer robe.

"My lord." He waited half a heartbeat before continuing. "As you know there was a raid on the Dursley's residence in Surrey last night." Voldemort nodded.

"Why now and not before Lucius? If we could have attacked Potter before this why haven't we and if we took the boy why hasn't he been presented to me?" Lucius swallowed and Voldemort knew that something was seriously wrong. Lucius never hesitated to give him information and when he did he had either messed something up or something was extremely wrong.

"Lucius?" Voldemort's voice held an edge that clearly threatened Lucius with bodily harm if he didn't talk immediately. Lucius knew the clues he was being given and immediately started speaking.

"Last night marked fifteen years since Ana and Malachi were killed." Lucius knew that he now had the dark lord's undivided attention and he continued. "Last night Severus received a letter. It had been written fifteen years ago before Ana was killed and she had arranged for it to be delivered when Malachi turned sixteen. The letter was held in stasis and would only be sent if both Malachi and Severus were alive when Malachi turned sixteen. She believed that Dumbledore would try to use them against you since Severus was working as our spy at Hogwarts. She didn't know if anything would come of it but she set aside letters and official documents that would be sent to her son and husband on her son's birthday." He paused to gauge the dark lord's reaction.

"You are telling me that Malachi is still alive?"

"Yes my lord."

"Do we know where he is?"

"Yes my lord."

"Explain." Lucius swallowed again and plunged back into his tale where he had left off.

"As I said Ana arranged for documents to be sent to both Severus and her son, they received those documents last night. She sent Malachi his birth certificate and Severus their marriage certificate. The packets she sent each of them were also charmed with powerful anti-memory altering charms. They would reveal any memories blocked by mind altering spells."

"And that is how we know where Malachi is?"

"Yes."

"What exactly do we know?" Lucius spoke without hesitation. He knew that dragging out the truth would only make it harder to say.

"That Harry James Potter, son of Lily Potter died three days after his birth. Severus was acting as the assistant to the nurse at Hogwarts when Lily gave birth and he was present when James informed Dumbledore of Harry's death. Dumbledore knew about the prophecy surrounding the Potters' infant and took measures to guarantee that the truth didn't get out. He attacked Severus' home and killed Ana. He then took Severus and Malachi back to Hogwarts where he forced Severus to watch as he changed Malachi's physical appearance to match that of the Potter's three day old infant. The memories of Lily and James were also altered and they believed that Harry had never died. As for Severus, Dumbledore altered his memories of the events and Severus has been serving as Dumbledor's spy within our ranks."

Voldemort's youthful brown eyes had turned a fiery red color that only arose when he was truly enraged.

"You are telling me that for fifteen years my greatest rival has in truth been Severus' son and that one of my most trusted advisors has been betraying me?"

"Yes my lord."

"Does Potter know the truth?"

"Yes. Severus sought him out last night to find out if what he remembered was the truth."

"You said there were letters? I want to see them now!" Lucius immediately reached into his cloak and pulled out a small packet of papers.

"This includes the letters that Malachi and Severus were sent. It also includes Malachi's birth certificate." The dark lord took the papers and read through each one in silence. At long last he handed them back to Lucius. When he finally spoke his voice was strained.

"How have Mister Potter and Severus taken the news and what have you done about it so far?"

"Not well my lord. Severus did not sleep last night. The return of his true memories is haunting him because he could nothing to protect his wife and son. He fully expects that you will kill him for betraying you and he willingly submits himself to you for punishment. I questioned him under veritaserum early this morning to find out what he kept secret and what he told Dumbledore."

"Did he tell him about…" Lucius instantly knew what the dark lord was referring to and spoke before Voldemort could continue.

"No, in truth he actually told Dumbledore very little. Despite feeling betrayed by you because of his false memories he still maintained an incredible degree of loyalty to our side. He made it appear to Dumbledore that he was only a minor member of the inner circle who only knew bits and pieces of information."

"What did he give the man?"

"He gave him information on a few of our divisions and a lot of information about troop movements during the latter half of the war. As far as I gathered he didn't give out alot personal or inner circle information. Most likely because that information would have been protected in his mind." Voldemort nodded.

"How did we miss this Lucius?"

"Severus withdrew so much after Ana died. It was almost impossible to read his emotions most of the time. I'm not making excuses my lord. I am merely stating the truth."

"How has mister Potter taken the news?"

"The boy's reaction has been far harder to gauge. He feels betrayed and he is angry. He has clearly expressed that he now feels like nothing more than a convenient tool and he clearly does not know who he can honestly trust. He is questioning every experience of his early life and he wonders just how much influence Dumbledore had in influencing his decisions. He also seems to genuinely want to destroy Dumbledore's reputation and seek revenge. He has vague memories of his mother that were awakened when he received his mother's letter and the truth that Dumbledore killed her in cold blood has led him to the decision to seek revenge against the man." Lucius paused to consider his master's reaction. Voldemort was clearly waiting for him to continue so he obliged.

"The boy wants revenge my lord. He has been clearly abused by the muggles who were supposed to care for him. He is rail thin had no idea that he was even a wizard until his eleventh birthday. Since that time he has been forced to live in the public eye and Dumbledore has perfectly controlled every element of his experience in the wizarding world. However I am not sure where Harry falls on the political spectrum. He might seek revenge against Dumbledore but I do not know if he is ready to adopt our policies, or if he is even willing to try and adopt them." Voldemort nodded.

"I want to know where his loyalties truly lie Lucius. I also want to have both he and Severus appear before me. Severus first, arrange an appearance for tomorrow evening. I want a complete update on the situation when you report with Severus. Leave me now. I have many things to consider." Lucius leaned down and kissed the hem of his master's robe once again.

"As you wish my lord. I will bring Severus before you tomorrow evening."

"Dismissed." Lucius stood and quickly made his way to the apparition point. He was relieved that the meeting had gone so well but he was not so confidant about the meeting the next evening. His master had many things to consider as to how this delicate situation would be handled and Lucius had no doubt that the road ahead of him would be rough.

Remus was pacing back and forth through the living room of number 12 Grimmauld Place for a while now and he showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. He had been pacing since he had awoken early in the morning, walked downstairs and found the daily prophet with a picture of Harry Potter and the headline "Boy Who Lived Attacked and Presumed Captured or Dead!". Remus remembered the panic that had gripped his chest as the picture on the cover of the Prophet showed pictures first of Harry then of the Dark Mark that had hung over #4 Privet Drive.

He had failed to protect him. He had failed to protect the last cub in his pack. He had failed Harry, and Sirius, and worst of all he had failed James. He had failed to protect the son of one of the only people who had ever considered him human. At some point after discovering the paper Remus had fallen to the floor and had begun crying harshly. He had failed to protect Harry. There were so many things he could have done to protect the boy but he had failed miserably and would never forgive himself.

He should have never listened to Albus when Albus had told him that Harry would be safer at Privet Drive with his blood relatives. Those relatives had hated Lily when she had been alive and there was no doubt in Remus' mind that they had abused Harry as well. The boy had always been far too thin when he returned from holidays and there had always been a hint of sadness and quiet despair in the young man's eyes when he had talked about having to return to the Dursleys each summer.

It suddenly had hit him that he had been referring to Harry in third person. As if the young man was already dead. The realization had made him cry harder and he stayed there on the floor of the foyer until Molly Weasley had come down to make breakfast.

He hadn't heard her quiet approach but he had suddenly felt a gentle hand on his shoulder as someone had removed the paper from his suddenly limp hands. He waited as she read the headline and than he had heard her strangled scream as she had fallen down beside him and wrapped her arms around him. Her anguished cries had shocked Remus from his numb state of mind and he remembered crying anew as he clung to Molly.

It wasn't long before their cries had awoken the rest of the house and they had soon found themselves being led into the living room by Arthur and Moody. As they entered the room Remus had vaguely noticed that Ginny and Hermione were huddled together on a sofa while the twins sat silently on the floor. Ron had been sitting alone in a chair across the room from his friends and family with an odd look on his face. Ron had been so distant since the end of the Triwizard Tournament. He never spoke of Harry and his family had started to worry. They had hoped that the spat between their son and Harry would eventually dissolve but the months of summer holiday had only seemed to increase Ron's separation.

Remus had had more important things to worry about than the state of the youngest Weasley son. He had to find out what had happened and he knew that the best way to do that was to contact Dumbledore. He was not going to let the man go without some answers this time. It was crystal clear to Remus that Harry had never been safe with his muggle relatives and if Albus had purposely made Harry stay with the Dursleys so they could abuse him and hand him over to death eaters than Albus was going to pay.

Remus held quite a bit of sway within the werewolf community of Britain. He was a well educated wizard and his role in the order of the phoenix made him a valuable diplomat between the two groups. If Remus found out that Albus had known about the Dursley's abuse of Harry but chosen to do nothing then Remus would use his support in the werewolf community to see that they supported Voldemort. It wouldn't be something he would do needlessly but if he found out that Albus had intentionally harmed his cub than the elderly wizard would pay dearly for his transgressions.

Once Remus had calmed down enough to think straight he had immediately tried to contact Dumbledore by floo. His call had gone unanswered and Remus had been trying to contact him for several hours now. If Albus did not show up soon he was going to go to Hogwarts and personally demand answers from the elder wizard. He did not like being left in the dark when it came to a member of his pack.

Suddenly the fire in the hearth flared to life and Albus Dumbledore stepped into the room. Almost instantly the elder wizard found himself slammed against a wall with an angry werewolf looming over him.

"What the hell happened Albus? You promised me that Harry would be safe with his muggle relatives. I wanted to keep him safe but you promised me that he would be okay. I promised Sirius and James that I would look after Harry and when he needed me most I wasn't there to protect him. Tell me what is going on, I want to know everything. Please tell me what happened." As he had continued to speak his voice, which had been filled with rage at the beginning, had slowly become lower and lower until his last words were little more than a whisper and so choked with emotion that he could barely get them past the lump that had formed in his throat.

When he had first saw Dumbledore the wolf had taken him over because he felt concern for a cub of his pack and love of the pack was instinct. As he had continued to speak the man in him had returned to the service and all his worry and frustration took over.

He could tell that all eyes were upon him and he knew that Dumbledore was starring at him in what appeared to be sympathy but contained a hint of something darker.

"Contain yourself Remus. This is no time to allow the wolf to take over. Harry is missing and I understand that you are upset but this is no time to let rational thinking abandon us." There was a cold edge to Albus' voice that left Remus taken aback and anger welled in his chest as the older wizard spoke.

"How can you be so calm about his Albus? Harry is missing. He was taken by death eaters from a location that was supposed to be safe. I want to know how it happened and you are going to tell me the truth." Remus' voice left no room for complaint and Dumbledore nodded.

"I'll tell you what I know Remus and I promise you that what I know isn't enough to settle your fears. I can't bring Harry back just by explaining the situation to you so I suggest you remain calm and think things through before you slam me into a wall before I can even speak." Remus hung his head and nodded.

"I'm sorry Albus, I'm just so worried about Harry. I want him to be okay but every minute he stays in Voldemort's clutches the worse his chances of survival become." Albus nodded.

"I understand Remus now come over and sit down so we can speak together." Remus nodded and turned to follow the headmaster towards the kitchen where he would hear a story that was by no means true although he had no idea at the time that Albus was lying to him.

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**That's the chapter for now guys. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I promise I will get back to Harry and Severus next chapter but I needed to get some Voldemort and Remus in there. I hope I got their personalities right. Let me know what you think in your reviews.**

Speaking of reviews, let's get to the questions that previous readers have submitted.

**Blubb-blubb**: Thanks for the great review. You bring up a lot of interesting points. The only person who knew that Harry wasn't a Potter was Dumbledore. He told no one not even Madam Pomfrey. I am working from the assumption that if the spells were cast by a high enough wizard that they would be masked as part of Harry's magical signature and a lot of the appearance change was done by potion which wouldn't show up on a mediwizard scan. Harry's friends didn't necessarily abandon him or spy on him. Ron left him as a friend because he couldn't stand not being the center of attention and I just don't like Ron. You are right, Molly would never accept destroying a family to fulfill political ends nor would Arthur for that matter.  
I haven't decided who will be joining Harry on Voldemort's side yet or even what politics of the Dark Harry will be willing to accept. I'm writing this story from scratch as I go because my old storyline was far too simplified and unrealistic. I hope I'm doing a decent job about making it realistic. Thanks for the review and feel free to give a signed review next time. I won't bite I promise.

**NettieT: **I'm glad that you like my story. I think the combo of dark Harry/Snape father makes for a great story. I like the idea of Harry/Ginny and maybe making Hermione dark. I'm not sure yet but i will keep you posted as chapters progress. Review again, I love feedback.

**Alyanna: **You are right, Voldemort won't kill Harry, I wouldn't have a story if he did. Thanks for the review.

**Lucy-Fair: **I haven't really considered the prophecy much as I have wrote this story but I guess it does fit pretty well. It was purely accidental. As for the pact of non-agression, that is only established until the person is able to decide for or against serving the dark lord. In the beginning Severus chose to serve but when he turned to Dumbledore he turned his back on the pact and can be harmed. When Harry refused to join Voldemort when they first met in "Sorceror's Stone" the pact was broken for Harry because he willingly chose to fight against Voldemort. He was no longer an infant who had no will of his own You should always fear scorned women, we are hellcats when we are mad. : )

**Destined Enchantress: **I'm glad you liked it so far. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.

**Princess-Fictoria: **Once again another amazing review. You are right, dark does not always mean evil and I'm not sure where Harry will draw the line between dark and evil yet. I am also not sure how Voldemort will decide to change his political stance. There are some twists that remain to be revealed but I'm not going to give those up yet. Most likely in the next chapter. I hoped you liked my characterization of Remus. He is willing to protect his cub at any costs and when he finds out what Dumbledore has done things could get ugly. As for Ginny and the twins, I like the idea of them going dark. I have preliminary plans for Ginny's change of spirit.Hermione is different though, it depends on how much I want Voldemort's policies to change. You always present such good theory about wizarding world politics and the reasons for the light v. dark wars. I have a lot to consider with each new review I get from you. Please keep them coming and I'll try to incorporate what works for the story as best I can.

**Anarual: **I know that Harry/Ginny isn't original and your suggestion about an arranged marriage has merit. It is something I hadn't thought about before. I'll keep it in mind. I appreciate the review and hope you keep reading.

**Aagwyn: **Believe it or not the idea of Harry with multiple wives or concubines had crossed my mind. I like the way you think and I hope you keep up the reviews.

**Lady LeStrangeL **Sorry to keep you waiting. As you can seeI have no intention of dropping this story. I hate to see pieces go unfinished so I try to make a conscious effort to finish everything. I hope you liked Lucius' meeting with Voldemort. More from our favorite DL will follow in the next chapters.

**bandqsecurtiyaw: **I'm glad you loveit. : )

**power214063: **I can't just MAKE Hermione go dark. She has to want to because of what happened to Harry/Malachi. I'll write what feels right when I get there. Thanks for your review and I hope you keep reading.

To everyone else: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and encouraged me to continue. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint anyone and you all keep reading and reviewing.


	9. Parents and Their Children

**Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter. No characters, plots, themes, dark lords ect... You get my drift. The books, characters... are all properties of their respective creators, producers, publishers ect...**

**Notes: **

**Sorry for the HUGE amount of time between chapters. School is finally done so chapters should be more frequent.**

**Reviewer questions are addressed at the end of the chapter.**

**I finally start addressingmy politics of this story in this chapter so bear with me if things don'tmake a lot of sense. They will become clearer in time.**

**This chapter takes place in 2 parts: Part 1 Ginny, Part 2 Malachi/Harry

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Dumbledore and Remus were completely oblivious to the fact that as they left the room they were being followed. Once they had turned their backs Ginny had separated herself from Hermione and the twins and exited the room in an emotional haze. Her friends and family assumed that she wished to grieve alone and allowed her to leave them without incident. **

In truth Ginny had no intention of grieving. She had come to accept the fact that Harry would probably die by Voldemort's hand a long time ago. It was bound to happen and there was little she could do to prevent to from happening. It was just the way the world worked. Tom had taught her that, Tom had taught her a lot of things, and he would continue to teach her a lot of things.

Since the middle of her first year at Hogwarts Ginny had felt something for Harry that was akin to hatred but she had slowly gotten over those emotions. She had disliked him so much because he had given almost no thought to her emotional well being. He had not cared how much she had suffered when he had tried to rip her soul and Tom Riddle's soul apart.

By the time of the incident in the chamber Tom had become an integral part of Ginny's psyche. He spoke to her, gave her advice, and slowly yet surely turned her to his cause. He had told her about his childhood and the abuse he suffered at the hands of muggles. She knew what he told her was true because they were one and the same. She had access to Tom's memories just as he had access to hers'.

She knew why he had chosen to follow the dark path he had chosen to follow. She knew why he hated muggles and she understood why he had a grudge against muggle born witches and wizards. It wasn't just a casual Slytherin style hate it was something that was rooted in his own personal tragedies and views of the world.

Ginny followed Dumbledore and Remus until they entered the library on the second floor of the house. When they were safely inside Ginny had made her way into the bedroom that was next door and removed and extendable ear that she had taken from Fred and George. She applied the magic application and settled in to listen to the conversation that was taking place next door.

Much to her relief Dumbledore and Remus had been in too big of a hurry and had not bothered to ward the room. She was able to hear every word of Dumbledore's fake explanation. She didn't know that his words were false but she was careful to memorize every word. The conversation would be invaluable to Tom and as Tom's other spy within the Order of the Phoenix she mentally shared everything she could with him.

She had no access to what took place behind the closed and warded doors of order meetings. She left those details up to Snape but she could gather little bits of information that the adults let slip when they thought the children weren't paying attention.

Unlike Voldemort's other followers she didn't not wear his mark. It would be impossible until she was older and Voldemort would not risk such an important spy who was so close to Dumbledore. He did however keep a close eye on Ginny's mind. He knew when things happened and he provided strong mental barriers that were disguised by the emotional and physical tensions of a teenage mind He had told her once that teenagers made the best spies because their minds were naturally cluttered and it was hard to know if they were acting as traitors or not.

When the conversation finally ended Ginny quickly spirited away from the abandoned bedroom she had been occupying and made her way to the room she shared with Hermione. She had only been there for a few minutes when a timid knock sounded on the door. When she hadn't immediately responded within about thirty seconds the door opened to reveal her mother.

"Ginny dear are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to talk?"

"No."

"Ginny darling you can't just shut out everyone else and try to deal with this alone. Harry is your friend and I know you must be hurting."

"He's is probably already dead." The simple words from her daughter affected Molly more then Ginny had expected them to.

"How can you say that Ginny? We have to believe in Harry. He's a very strong boy. He will defeat the dark lord and we will be able to live peaceful lives again." Ginny laughed darkly. Her mother didn't know it but she didn't want to live peacefully. She didn't want to live without Tom. Tom had been her friend when everyone around her looked down on her.

"Is it really that easy mom? If Voldemort is gone and his death eaters locked away in Azkaban will the world really be a better place?"

_Will his death make everything right? Will it save all the muggle witches and wizards who don't make it to Hogwarts? Who don't get the chance to obtain their full potential because their parents can't stand the fact they they are special and different? The ministry doesn't care about them until they actually enter the wizarding world. It didn't protect Harry, it didn't protect Tom and it definitely doesn't protect the hundreds of children who don't even make it to the wizarding world. Who would protect them if Tom doesn't?_

All of these questions flowed silently through Ginny's mind as she waited for her mother to respond to her simple question. To her hidden amusement the question seemed to frustrate her mother. She didn't expect her mother's response, or the slap that accompanied it.

"Snap out of it Virginia. Of course the world will be a better place. How could it not? The Dark Lord is evil. He had always been evil and he will continue to spread darkness across our world unless he is stopped. I know you are grieving over Harry's dangerous predicament but you can't give up hope like this. Harry will come through for us and he will stop the dark lord. You should also be careful and watch your tongue. Using the name of the Dark Lord is not a smart thing to do. If people hear you using that name they will think that you are one of his followers."

Immediately after her mother slapped her Ginny's hand went to cradle her bruised cheek. It wasn't until her mother finished speaking that the older woman even realized what she had done. Ginny could immediately see the horror as it spread across her mother's face. Molly had immediately knelt in front of her youngest child as tears sprang to her eyes.

"Ginny I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, I'm just so upset about Harry, and everything I'm sorry darling." She reached up and moved Ginny's hand to examine the damage she had done to her daughter's cheek and her horror had grown when she saw the hand-shaped bruise that had quickly formed.

Molly removed her wand from her sleeve and conjured a bag of ice which she held out of Ginny. The girl immediately accepted and held it to her cheek as her mother muttered an anti-swelling charm. The swelling stopped and went down a little but didn't disappear completely. When Ginny removed the ice the hand print was still there but much lighter.

Throughout the whole process her mother had been muttering apologies which Ginny was tuning out. She desperately wanted to hex the woman and as she thought about it dozens of different spells that were all part of Tom's collection came to mind. She refused to use them however and instead concentrated and blocking out her mother's voice.

It wasn't until her mother pulled her into a hug that Ginny forced herself to react. She gingerly wrapped her arms around the shaking woman and allowed the woman to cry. She muttered a few words of meaningless apology and waited for her mother to calm down.

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Malachi followed his father through the twisting passages that existed under Malfoy manor. He was confidant that if he even had to find his way out by himself that he would not be able to do so. However he imagined that such a design was part of the plan. If someone did try to sneak down here without knowing the way then they would become completely lost.

After what seemed like an hour, but was only about 20 minutes, Severus stopped in front of a blank wall. He placed his hand over a brick that was about the size of his hand and waited. The brick lit up and flashed from color to color before finally settling on a deep Slytherin green. The process reminded Harry of a muggle retina or thumbprint scanner that was magical rather then technological.

The pair of wizards waited for a few minutes before the wall shifted to reveal a narrow passageway that was lined with torch sconces on both sides. As they made their way down the hall each set of torches lit. The tunnel they had been following dead ended into another long tunnel that stretched out in both directions. Each side of the hall was lined with doors and torches.

Severus turned down the left part of the corridor and motioned for the younger wizard to follow him. They made their way down the hallway for a couple more minutes before Severus finally stopped in front of a door. He quickly removed a key from a chain that hung around his neck and unlocked the door.

Once the door was unlocked it swung open on silent hinges and Severus went inside. Not wanting to be left behind Malachi quickly followed his father into the lab. The door immediately swung shut and the room was bathed in light from dozens and dozens of tiles that lined the ceiling.

Once the room was bright enough Harry began to take in the lab before him. The room was huge with a beautiful domed ceiling which was covered with a constantly shifting guide which detailed moon, star, and planet movement. The equipment was the highest standard possible and the best quality he had ever seen. There were cauldrons of every size and along the back wall there were several shelves filled with glass vials in every shape imaginable. The rest of the wall space was filled with shelves that held Severus' various potions ingredients.

Malachi looked over at his father to see a look of satisfaction that he wasn't used to seeing. He knew immediately that his father had single handedly created this room and gathered everything that was in it.

"This is amazing." He exclaimed in awe.

"Yes, this is one of the finest potions labs in Britain. The only ones that outrank it are my labs under the Snape and Riddle Manors. Ana and I were the finest pair when it came to potions crafting. We even have a small company that functions strictly off special order potions. I take orders during the school term and what I don't finish during the year I finish during summer term."

Malachi nodded as he allowed his father to continue. He had known that his father enjoyed being a potions master but he had not known just how good the man was until he had seen one of his father's labs.

"I know you aren't good with potions but I guess I've never really given you a chance to try either have I?" Malachi shook his head.

"If you want to train me we can try. I might take to it rather fast since I won't have Draco messing with my attempts at every turn. You said you and mom were quite a team and I would like to know more about her and if she was a potions mistress than that is a place to start."

Severus remained silent for several seconds as he considered his son's request. He knew quite a bit about wizarding talent from his years as a professor and he knew that talent often followed family lines. He also knew that so far Harry had shown a distinct talent for charms and transfiguration. However, if it brought him closer to his son then he was willing to try.

However, he wasn't going to pretend that this whole transition was going to be easy. Malachi still had a lot of adjusting to do and they had to get over their years long rivalry. The boy may have turned out to be his son but that didn't automatically make them friends or companions. The boy had to survive Voldemort's scrutiny and Severus was not going to get too close to the boy until their fate had been decided in the Dark Lord's eyes.

He was however grateful that Harry was trying to extend an olive branch to him. He knew that they both had a long way to go and it was going to be hard but he had to try. Ana wouldn't have wanted anything less and he would do anything for his lost love.

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**Reviewer Responses: (There are a few so bear with me here)**

**anss123:** The issues with Hermione will be addressed. I hint a lot about why how I'm going to handle muggle/wizard relations in the part of this chapter that is from Ginny's perspective. She has a unique insight into Tom's mind and understands why he does things. Things will become more clear in later chapters.

**Weirkat:** Another long period between updates I know and I'm sorry. This chapter is a little longer and it brought in Ginny. I hope you enjoyed.

_Princess-Fictoria:_ Um wow, that is a LONG review! It did give me a ton to think about though so it is hugely appreciated. As you can see I tried addressing some of what actually makes Voldemort tick in this chapter. I found the best way to do that was through someone who has a direct connection to Voldie's mind and aside from Harry the only person for that is Ginny. I'm going to follow a more gray area about Voldemort's activities. His intertions are gray that got painted black by Albus and the ministry. Pure-bloods will always have more pull then half bloods (save Voldie because he's a dark lord) I'll explain how that will work in later chapters. I'll be placing a focus on muggle children who have wizarding gifts, they are part of the reason Voldie went "gray"as I will put it. In a lot of cases twisting the truth is exactly what was happened and I'll go more into detail about my political scheme in later chapters. Keep the excellent reviews coming and I'll incorporate what fits my scheme.

**starangel2106**: I hope my dark Harry fic opens you up to other dark Harry stories. This was originally going to be a much simplier dark Harry story but it has gotten much more complicated and I'm pleased with that. I want my characters to evolve as they come into contact with new situations. Thanks for reading and I hope you continue to do so.

**bahjcb:** Great review, I'm glad you found my story. Remus is smart and Ginny is already dark as this chapter nicely established. I will go more in depth as to why she choose to go dark. It isn't just because Tom is in her head all the time but that does play a part. As for Hermione going dark, she might but I don't see her with Draco. hetechnically needs a pure-bloodwife but we will see. One thing to keep in mind, history is defined by the victors in a conflict. What is "light" and "dark" is an interpretation of history. Keep that in mind for future chapters because all will become evident in time. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you keep reading.

**RickSt:** New chapters should be up more frequently now. I'm getting a labtop this week and I'll be able to care my work with me more easily. Keep reading and reviewing.

**ashley-lydia**: thanks for adding my story to your favs. I appreciate it..

**noctu:** This story will focus mostly on the dark side of things, with occasional check ins as characters wrestle with what they find out as the plot advances. I hope you enjoy the new chapter and bear with me. More darkness will follow.

**Night-Owl123:** I'm trying to be realistic. I'm glad I'm doing a good job in your opinion. Please read and review again and again.

**HecateDeMort:** Thanks

**ardent:** Remus will most likely go dark but I don't see him eating many people. : ) I like how you think though.

**Rose of Many Thorns:** I haven't decided about relationships yet I have some pretty definite ideas but nothing is written yet, although don't expect Hermione to be with anyone. Thanks for the review.

**Phoenix 5:** Malachi is not "evil" but in my story nor is Voldemort really "evil". He is more of a gray that has been painted "black" by Voldemort and the ministry because his views are different. I'm starting to hint at the politics of the story in this chapter so bear with me here. Evertything will become clear.

**silverkitkat**: I hope you like the new chapter. Remus will play more in later chapters and he will defend his pup. I like that relationship between them and Remus will probably have some sway, most likely on the twins.

**Sear:** Malachi will not prance around as a carbon copy of James Potter. The transformation from Potter to Snape will fully take place in a very near chapter.

**foxychibi:** I hope you enjoyed the new chapter, more will come along soon.

**AnnF**: I'll have Harry go to Diagon Alley soon and we will see what we can do.

**Cows are my friends:** Great name by the way! I'm still working on the politics of this story. I have the basis of what I'm going to do though and Harry's alignment will strongly depend on exactly how I spin the political end of Voldemort's power struggle. I have some ideas about relationships but those won't come up for a bit.

**Cathy-Ann:** Thank you

**Nicol:** Yes the Potters are victims and Remus will get some sense knocked into him

**To everyone else who read and reviewed or read but didn't review thanks to each and everyone of you. This story wouldn't happen if I didn't have support from loyal readers.**


	10. Change is in the Air

**Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter. Please don't sue me.  
**

**To everyone who reviewed between this chapter and the last THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**Just to get a few notices out of the way I have to say I LOVED HBP! It was amazing, save for all the stupid romance it was great. I was at a lose as to how to continue my story but I've decided to just continue the way I was doing things. I repeat what follows is the original plot to my story and has had only minor alterations due to 'HBP'. Over 190 reviews say I'm doing something right so I might as well stick with a good thing. **

**Be prepared, a major plot point is revealed in this chappie. I figured since I made you guys wait so long I should give you something good to make up for it. It actually works better revealing it here then it does where it originally was anyway. I hope everybody likes it.**

**Keep the reviews coming and don't feel bad about telling me if you think something is wrong. I appreciate good strong critics of my work. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope to hear from you guys again in the future**

**I have a special review to highlight. This review came from Mozes. Mozes, I have friends in Iraq, I wish everyone who has returned from there and who is still there the best of luck. I do agree with you we all have to make our own decisions about right and wrong. Our children are the future and I'm glad that your daughter picked out my story to send to you. I hope you can get in contact with all the troops who read this story with you and let them know that I published a new chapter and I will do my best to make the updates more frequent. **

**Thanks to all who have reviewed so far and I hope you continue to do so.**

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Lucius reappeared at the edge to the wards that surrounded his home and protected his family. While he might be able to manipulate the wards while inside their barriers he had taken special care to secure them so no one could access them from the outside. It was a precaution that he had refused to neglect. 

His family came first above everything else and while he might seem like a harsh and cruel patriarch he actually cared a great deal about his family. Their safety was something that always nagged at the back of his mind. However, he had learned to trust their safety to the wards around his home and the intelligence of his family to protect themselves while outside those wards.

Lucius sighed and stared across the well kept grounds on his family's estate. The grounds were especially beautiful as the summer came to an end and there was little doubt in Lucius' mind that Narcissa was somewhere within the vast confines of the foliage. He had been pleasantly surprised when he had first met Narcissa. On the surface she seemed to be a completely prim and proper young witch. She was a brilliant young Ravenclaw and had been the top of her class at Hogwarts.

The real Narcissa was extremely different from the proper façade she showed to the outside world. The intelligent young witch had a passion for herbology which was matched only by her talent in the dark arts. She was an excellent duelist and had given him a run for his money in quite a few duels.

Narcissa also shared his love of family. Draco had always been an intelligent and manipulative young man and Narcissa took every chance to spoil her son. She loved the boy quite dearly and it had hurt her a great deal when Ana had died and Malachi had been lost to them. He remembered how Narcissa had tried for weeks to reach Severus and draw him out of his emotionless shell. If they had known what they did now, if they had only known what Dumbledore had done, they would have been able to help him.

What ifs were all in the past though, there was nothing short of a time-turner that could change the past. The idea did hold merit but it was far to risky to try. Changing a few hours or minutes of time was one thing but changing fifteen years of history was quite another. There was no way that Lucius was willing to take such a risk and he knew that even though Severus would love the chance to fix things he wouldn't dare try it either.

Lucius had more important things to consider then wishful thinking of the past. He had to find Severus and inform him of the meeting that Voldemort had called for the next evening. There was little doubt in his mind that Severus would come out of that meeting unscathed, and there was a good chance that he would not leave it as one of the living. The outcome was scrictly in the Dark Lord's hands and there would be nothing he or Severus could do once Voldemort made his decision.

Lucius nervously raked a hand through his hair and sighed. He could feel the situation spiraling out of his control and he hated not being in control of a situation. This was his Lord however and Voldemort was unpredictable at best. A slight breeze caused Lucius' cloak to swirl around him and he sighed again.The summer would be drawing to a close soon and the coming fall would bring many changes to the wizarding world. He was positive that Dumbledore and his cronies had already found out about Harry's disappearance and had already begun their search to find the missing boy.

Lucius was almost certain that he would be recieving some very irrate Aurors as they searched his family grounds yet again. He had to make sure that they found nothing to connect him with Harry's disappearance. The boy would have to leave the manor until the pressure died down because Lucius would not risk being carted off to Azkaban if the ministry somehow found the boy hiding within his walls. Dumbledore would leave no possible stone unturned if it meant finding his precious pawn and political idol. The boy was far too important to simply abandon. The old man had dedicated too much time and effort into molding the child into the image of perfect savior and the process of creating another savior would be far too difficult.

The elder Malfoy allowed his gaze to sweep the grounds once again before he stepped inside the apparation barrier.He immediatly felt the tingle of the wards as they flowed around him and recognized him as their master. He would have to configure them to allow Malachi within them without triggering the estate's security magics. As he drew closer to the manor he saw Narcissa exiting her much loved rose garden.The secluded spot wasone of her favorites on the grounds and had been planted by Lucius' mother when he was still a child. Since then the roses had grown to impressive heights.It was rather beautiful and Lucius stopped to wait until his wife caught up with him.

"Lucius." Her voice was quiet and held an edge of barely contained worry. "How was your meeting dear?" Lucius reached out and took her hand before pulling her closer to him and kissing her lightly on the lips.

"No hello darling?" He squeezed her hand gently."It went better then I expected, but, come we should not talk of such things here." Narcissa nodded and seemed to relax slightly as she allowed Lucius to lead her inside their home. Once the doors had firmly closed behind them she spoke again.

"What happened?" Lucius sighed and raked his hand through his hair.

"His lordship did not take the information well. He was quite irrate that I missed such details and he insists that I find out exactly where Malachi's loyalties lie. He also ordered me to bring Severus before him tomorrow night. I expect that he will not go easy on him when they meet." Lucius could see the worry in her eyes. "We can only hope that things go the best for both of them." Narcissa nodded and pulled her hand free of her husband's grip.

"It sounds like there is nothing we can do then." She reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Lucius' ear. It was a nervous guesture, one that she usually reserved for days that Lucius was going to the ministry or when Draco was preparing to leave for Hogwarts. At one point they would have both been annoyed with it but over the years they had to come to see it as one of the subtle signs that she truly cared. After all a Malfoy had to look his best whenin public. To look anything less was a sign of weakness and the Malfoys rarely did anything that would lead to a decrease in their social status.

Lucius gently gripped her hand in his once again and squeezed it.

"Do you know where Severus is? We have things to discuss." Narcissa sighed as she allowed her hand to slip out of her husband's grasp and fall to her side.She knew that Lucius cared but whenever he had business to attend to he didn'tlet anything stand in his way. It was irritating at times but she had learned to live with it and acceptthatLucius cared even though he didn't always show it.

"I believe he is showing off his lab." Lucius chuckled softly.

"Why did I even ask?" Narcissa nodded in agreement, glad that the momentary tension was gone for now.

"I'll let you go find him and I'll be in the garden if you needme for anything." Lucius nodded and watched her as she began walking back the way they had come. As she was about to disappear he called out to her.

"Narcissa please pick which one of our vacation homes you would like to stay at for a few weeks." She stopped and turned to look at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?" The tone of her voice told him that she would not be played with and that she wanted no lies or excuses from him.

"I'm sending you, Draco, and Malachi to one of our homes that our Lord is secret keeper for. I have no doubt that the ministry will be ordering searches of all homes belonging to suspected supporters of our Lord. They will want to find Malachi as soon as possible and I will not risk him being found here." Narcissa nodded.

"Our retreat in Germany, then. It is as you say protected by our lord and it is rather large. It will give the boys some space." Lucius nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Draco is just going to have to learn to live with it. Things have changed and they are going to change a lot more in the near future. It's going to be difficult for all of us especially Severus and Malachi. I don't want Draco making things anymore difficult than they already are." Narcissa could hear the frustration laced in his voice and chose not to argue with him.

"I know dear. It's not going to be anmeasy transition for anyone. If you would like I will leave this evening and have the house elves prepare the manor for our arrival."

"That would be fine. I must find Severus." Before Narcissa could reply Lucius had turnedmwith a flourish of dark robes and taken off down the hall.

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Once Lucius was gone Voldemort allowed his carefully controlled fury to escape.His anger literally flowed off of him in waves and any of his servants that were close enough to feel his anger were being wise by keeping their distance. He could not believe that Snape of all people had been the betrayer within his inner circle for so long. It was almost impossible to comprehend that one of his most trusted advisors had been betraying him. It made sense though, itmade all the pieces fall into place. Severus had been extremely withdrawn since Ana's death. He or Lucius should have noticed that something more then the death of his family was bothering the man.

The question was how much had Severus given away? Lucius had seemed quite sure that Severus had only given away minor details. The fact that Severus had been willing to submit to veritaserum told him that Lucius was correct in his assumptions.Severus had not willingly submitted himself to a dose of the serum since Ana's death. To do so now was a clear sign, in Voldemort's mind, that Severus was willing to try and make amends for his betrayal.

That did not mean that he would take it easy on the man. Betrayal was a grave thing for anyone of his death eaters to attempt. He had made that quite clear over the years. Anytime he got wind of a betrayal that person had been punished, a couple had even died as examples. Those had been the ones who had actually betrayed him however.

He did not kill needlessly, it did him no good if he killed competent followers without a good reason. The fact that this betrayer was Snape made the matter that much more severe.His parents had been important cogs in his initial rise to power and with good reason. Voldemort had known when he first started his rise to power that certain things in the wizarding world were not to be ignored.The most important of those things was blood. Lineage in the wizarding world was by far the most important thing.

You could be an incredibly powerful muggle-born but if you did not have the blood to back up that power than you didn't get far. That had changed a lot over the years but it was still an important factor in wizarding politics. Founders blood was especially important and Voldemort had more then enough of that to make himself a threat. He was the heir of Slytherin in the eyes ofthe ministry and the supposed last link to the ancient family. That couldn't be farther from the truth. The Slytherin tree had many many branches. Most of them had sadly ended in squibs but there was one branch that was still very much alive and well.

Voldemort knew that Dumbledore had been trying to gather everything about his family line that he could usein order to bring him to his knees and the idiot truly believed that Tom Riddle was the last of the Slytherin line. The fool couldn't be further from the truth. Voldemort had found an old family journal that detailed another line of the Slytherin tree that still existed. He had traced the vague outline within the journal and found information that had been of great use to him.

The truth of the matter was that a couple generations back one of the daughters of the Slytherin line had been married off to a wealthy German wizard. When the woman delived a daughter as her first child the lord she was married to divorced her and took another wife who was able to give him a male heir. He was later able to have his eldest daughter married in a political alliance with High Wizard Kratson of Britian. The young witch gave birth to twin girls. Those children had been named Julia and Andriea. When they came of age and had been properly trained as witches they had married. Andriea had married Merlinous Malfoy while her sister married Silas Snape.

Andriea gave birth to Lucius first and Julia followed her two years later with Severus. The two families did not find out until the boys were well through their term at Hogwarts that their families were directly related by blood to the Slytherin line. By this time Voldemort was already well on his way to establishing himself as the powerhouse he would become in later years. He had approached the two families and informed himof their mutual lineage. He had then proposed that they join him. They had of course accepted but on the condition that their relation to the Slytherin line be kept a secret, even from their sons.

He had agreed to the alliance but had no intention of keeping the fact that both families were of Slytherin blood from Severus and Lucius. His first meeting with the boys had pleasantly surprised him. He had expected them both to be as arrogant as their fathers. This had not been the case.

Lucius had been every bit the pureblood he expected. He was wealthy and he knew it. He also carried himself with the dignity and respect that a Malfoy deserved. He was a brilliant and charismatic talker who had an impressive number of curses at his disposal which he was not afraid to use if a situation did not go his way.

Severus had surprised him much more. Severus was the exact opposite of Lucius in almost every area.The boy was in no way popular or charismatic and he was constantly tormented by others in his year. However the younger boy had proved himself academically time and time again. By the age of fifteen he had proven himself to be a better potions master than his father and he had a head for strategy that had astounded Voldemort. Voldemort had even been impressed with the boy's mastery of the dark arts. The boy had even hid his emotions well. The ability to hide his emotions had not stopped Voldemort from reading the boy's emotions like an open book. He had seen it fit to personally take Severus under his wing and teach him.

It was now painfully obvious that he had taught him too well. The revelation of Severus' betrayal stung deeply and the wound was made worse by the fact that he had trained Severus to hide such things.

The news that Harry Potter was the man's son was something that infuriated him even more. How dare Dumbledore mess with his family. He was sure that the man had no idea of Malachi's true heritage. In truth it was his fault that he had lost Severus to Dumbledore. It had been his decision to place Severus as a spy within Hogwarts. He should have realized that eventually Dumbledore would wisen up to the traitor in his midst and use Severus to his advantage. The man had only wanted Severus and he had used an innocent child to get what he wanted. Voldemort had seen too many instances where young children were used in sick games. He had seen too many children suffer needlessly and if even half of what Lucius described was true then he should have no trouble bringing Malachi to his side. All he would have to do was promise the boy the right to kill Dumbledore when the time came.

That death was an honor he had been reserving for himself but he knew that it would help to win the boy's loyalty better than any other promise he could make, if he even allowed the boy to live that was. Harry Potter had been a thorn in his side for years now and he was not sure that he was ready to allow his hatred of the boy die so easily. Killing the boy would be the perfect way to get back at Severus for betraying him but then he would completely loose Severus for good. The man was too goodof a potions master. He would have to listen to both Severus and his son before he made his final decision about their fate.

If he could win the boy's absolute loyalty then he would gain a powerful tool and deal an incredible blow to Dumbledore's meddling band of freedom fighters. He could widely publicize the 'killing' of the the boy who lived and he would deal an incredible blow to the whole wizarding world. The idea had definite merit but again he would make no decisions until he had spoken to both Snapes.

He knew that even if he killed Severus he had already lost his best spy within Dumbledore's Order. Despite his now obvious disloyalty Severus still brought him valid and valuable information.The amount of information wasn't anything like what the man had brought him before Ana's death but it had still been enough to help him plan strategies. He would have to be especially careful with Ginevra. If Dumbledore realized that a connection remained between them then he would be putting the young womanin grave danger. He had already lost Ana to him and he would not allow the same to happen to the young woman who he had come to care agreat deal about.

His original intent when he began assimilating with the youngest Weasley was to simply let her die as he took over her body and sapped her of her energy. He had quickly realized that wasting such a talented young pureblood would be pointless so he had allowed the girl access to his own thoughts. He had showed her what he had gone through as a child andhe had showed her what other muggle borns went through as well. Over time he had completely won her allegiance and she continued to give him any information that Dumbledore or one of the other adults dropped.

The girl was unable to give him the orders coordinates but she gave him considerable information since his return. He would have to check on her once he had calmed down somewhat. If he was not mistaken he had sensed some distress radiating off her earlier in the day. He assumed that it was related to the news of Potter's disappearance but it was worth checking out. If for nothing more then making sure that Dumbledore had done nothing to her.

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**Reviews, there are tons since I haven't updated in SOOOOOOOOO long, I apologize. Life is hectic. I'm back though and I should be back for good. I've got some new inspiration so we will see how it goes.**

**1mill123**: I don't think I really described the relationship between Ginny and Voldemort the way I wanted to in the last chapter. Yes Harry did tear their souls apart but I didn't articulate that Tom was going to keep Ginny from dying. That was a bad on my part. I'll go into it deeper later on to make it all clear. Sorry about the confusion. You are right Voldemort and Dumbledore are cold and Harry will have trouble with that.

**Vash2004**: I have plans for Ginny, she'll find everything out. Don't worry just be patient.

**Dawnay:** I'm glad you still read my story even though you don't completely understand it. Thanks for reading.

**hermoine21:** Woo, slow down there a bit. Not everybody can go dark and not everyone is going to. Ron is definitly not going dark. I don't like Ron and I want him on the light side. I think he's too blind to see things any other way then he has been trained. Remus is on Harry's side, the twins might go dark I haven't decided yet. As for Hermione I haven't decided yet on her.

**HecateDeMort:** Excellent point about the potions classes. Let's officially change that and make that clear Harry might have a better talent with potions when the Slytherins aren't thwarting his efforts. We will just make that Slytherins in general and not any specific one. Thanks for the help.

**FRED:** I haven't decided yet if he's going to get the Potter's stuff. As of now, probably not. The story unfolds too fast for that. I'll see if I can find a way to do so but I'm not sure.

**hpfananita:** Yeah, I almost have too many plot lines right now but I'll work on getting them developed more in the coming weeks.

**Raven:** Yes I know my books. Read the story and my review notes. I've addressed this before.

**Shinigami:** Remus is looking out for his cub. He'll side with Harry. Neville will probably end up involved at one point, especially when Dumbledore needs a new pawn. We will have to see where things go.

**Kaaera:** I hate loosing fics! I'm glad you found me again and I hope you find me this time too.

**Bukama Stealth:** The wards were triggered by Harry living with his 'relatives' in the house. They thought he was their nephew and there presence was enough to anchor the wards. Plus there was never a direct ward on the house to see how strong those wards actually were. Voldemort doesn't want to see wizards harmed by muggles. He senses the fear and knows that wizards, no matter how powerful, are outnumbered. It's a survival instinct to defend when you are outnumbered. Ginny is who she is and who she is will develop as teh story devolops. I haven't decided on pairings.

**Cows are my Friends:** I love evil Dumbledore stories too. I agree that my Voldemort kills when he sees a need.

Coldfiredragon gives **Unseen Watcher** a hug. Thanks for reading. Yes, Dumbledore's plans are crashing down. The link between them is a good way for Voldemort to see where his loyalties are. Good call I might just use that.

**Silver-Entrantress-Elf**: See there was more. Sev's judgement will be next chappie. I promise on that one. It has been too long without some real action.

**to be left outside alone:** i'm going to stay away from the M-Preg. Sorry to disappoint. That child would be powerful though and if you have read any of my other fics you know I'm big on torture. Oh well we will have to see.

**Mione5:** Yes I know timeline issues, oh well, it works in my head. I'm not running on book cannon. Thanks for pointing it out though.

**Hakkia - Gojyo - Goku - Sanzo:** I haven't chosen pairings yet. Remus sides with Harry.

**Queen Asinoe:** I chose my name because my FAV book series is "The Coldfire Trilogy" by C.S. Friedman. Amazing series, way toooo short!

**kzapjaze:** Harry won't be going back to Hogwarts. He might have a talent for potions, at least a better grasp then he does now at least

**Jaid Ziaen:** I haven't made choices on pairings yet. She is very dark. Like I said I'm not giving things away yet. I agree with you I HATE, HATE, HATE, Ron and Dumbledore. The newest book was brilliant. I was so insanely happy with the ending. It was brilliant. Anyway enough of me ranting. A new chapter will be up soon. I have Dumbly's death planned though. It will be bad. Thanks for the good wishes in college.

**To everyone** who reviewed my author's note that was the originial chapter **TEN**, thanks for encouraging me to continue. I was really at a loss for a while about how I was going to continue this story. I finally decided to continue with my original plot and not make too many changes. I appreciated it.

To everyone else who encouraged me to write and who reviewed, thanks to you as well. There are way too many of you to thank individually but if you ever review and have questions or major issues I'll be sure to address them personally. Thanks to all and I'm sorry for my absence.


	11. Internal Ponderings and the Truth

**Disclaimer: I don't own any aspect of Harry Potter. End of story, please don't sue.**

**Author's notes: I was re-reading my reviews and I really didn't see anything huge to note or correct. I will make the same statement I always have for the few people who haven't seemed to get it yet. I KNOW my story is not according to cannon. I KNOW that I am a year different on many things, reread the first chapter and it explains all that. I don't want to offend anyone but there is always at least one reviewer who chooses to point this out to me.**

**Another question that was asked by Shinigami about about Luna. I don't know how she would swing in all of this and since my version of book five hasn't even happened yet she really isn't a factor. I might write her in as a minor character but nothing major by any means, maybe as a friend to Neville ifI bring him in. I really don't have definite plot just lots of well developed ideas of major events that need connections to make them a story.**

**Just a heads up to all. I like responding to reader reviews but if you don't sign in and leave anonomous reviews instead it makes it much harder for me to respond to you. I love talking with my readers, it makes me know that somebody actually cares. **

**Keep the reviews coming and don't feel bad about telling me if you think something is wrong. Also don't be afraid to write long winded reviews.I appreciate good strong critics of my work. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope to hear from you guys again in the future**

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It took longer than Ginny thought it would for her mother to finally calm down but when she did the younger woman was grateful. She cared about her mother but the woman's protectiveness of her children became a little annoying at times. It frustrated Ginny when her mother tried to shelter her from everything that was bad in the world. Ginny knew that the world wasn't the simple black and white that her mother saw. It was a world of bleak dreary grays where nothing made sense and little was worth following.

Ginny recognized what was happening and she saw her family splintering. Before her experience during first year family had been the most important thing to her and anything her mother and father said must be true. Parents didn't lie to their children right? She knew different now, she knew just how often parents sugar coated the facts to make things not look as bad as they were. Now that sugar coating was fracturing her family in as many different directions as there were Weasleys.

She knew that Fred and George were planning to leave Hogwarts and start their own joke shop. She had overheard them talking about the money that Harry had given them after the Tri-Wizard Tournament and how they were using that money to make their dreams come true. Her mother would never approve but the twins didn't care. They were doing what they wanted to do with their lives regardless of their mother's wishes.

Her older brothers had even gone their own ways despite her mother's wishes. If Molly had her way Bill and Charlie wouldn't work with dragons or break curses for Gringotts. Both boys would have nice quiet jobs at the Ministry where they would be relatively safe. They might even become like Percy who had so distanced himself from the family that he never even spoke to them. Then there was Ron. Ever since the Tri-Wizard Tournament Ron had been walking around like the world had betrayed him. He was on his own without his former best friend and he had finally realized too late that his best shot to fame was on Harry's coat tails. Too bad that Harry and he would never reconcile.

As for herself, well she had gone dark years before. She had turned away first and that may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. When the events in the chamber had changed her it had changed her whole family. Her parents knew that their family was not immune to the dark lord's reach and it had frightened them more then they had ever been frightened during Voldemort's original rise to power.

Once her mother was finally gone Ginny stretched out on her bed and stared at the dark burgundy canopy that hung above her. The bed's dressings were shabby and slightly faded but Ginny still managed to get lost in the dark coloring. If she thought about it hard enough it was almost as if the canopy was the sky, an angry red sky that was waiting to spill its bloody tears over an all too gray landscape. At least there would be color when that happened. She thought bitterly. She knew that a major battle between the white and black was coming and when it was over only red would remain. The blood of the dead would litter the battlefield and the victor would blame the loser for starting the conflict in the first place. It wouldn't matter that half the blood on the field was their own.

These thoughts and more poured through Ginny's head as she laid there and stared at her canopy. She was not aware of anything else and took no notice of the passage of time as the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes to hours. She took no notice of anything until a sudden wave of anger overcame her. The feeling immediately brought her out of her haze and she found herself in a sitting position as she clutched her head and prayed that Tom's anger passed quickly. She struggled to get her mental shields in place and gasped in relief as the iron walls that separated her and Tom slammed into place.

She knew that something had happened. It wasn't often that Tom became so truly enraged that he allowed his anger to show so strongly. From the safety of her shields she allowed herself to mentally study the few brief fragments of memory that had accompanied Tom's wave of emotion. She was able to gather that Lucius had told Tom something he didn't want to hear and it had infuriated Tom to no end. She knew from experience that Tom was not easily angered unless one of his people severely screwed up or he felt betrayed. On this occasion Ginny got the impression that Tom felt both.

She also got the feeling that whatever had happened it involved Harry in some fashion. Harry was never far from all the problems that the rest of the wizarding world floated around. It was his job as its' supposed savior to be in the thick of things. Ginny sighed in frustration as she stood and began pacing across her room. Tom was restless now and his frustration was bleeding over to her through their mental link. It didn't matter whether or not her shields were in place, some emotion always bled through. It was the nature of their bond. They were connected and would be until one or both of them were dead.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH

Malachi leaned with his back against the wall as he watched his new found father work furiously over several bubbling cauldrons. He had some idea of what was brewing in each pot but there was no way he would be able to give specific details to anyone later on. He had never realized or considered that Severus might have actually enjoyed his job as a potions master. Not after the way he treated his students in his classes. Now however, after watching the man in his element for only a couple of hours.

Malachi could see that the man truly enjoyed what he did and that he seemed secretly thrilled to have an audience. It was like watching a well rehearsed play when the actors truly enjoyed their parts. It was obvious to him that Severus knew the potions he was brewing by heart and took great care to make sure that no single detail was left out.

Malachi knew that this perfection was due, at least in part, to the nature of the craft. Potion making was a very dangerous trade. If the wrong ingredient was added at the wrong time the whole mixture could turn deadly. This was the reason that there were so few fully trained potions masters. Most of them did something wrong and got themselves killed before they could achieve their goal of a mastery in potions.

As he watched his father apprehension started to form in the pit of his stomach. Lucius was due back from his visit with the dark lord at any time and Malachi dreaded the man's return. He wanted to know how Voldemort had taken the news of his parentage but at the same time he wished for the blissfulness of ignorance.

He realized that Severus must be more than a little worried about the encounter that was to come. He had betrayed Voldemort for years and the truth of his betrayal had suddenly become common knowledge to those he had been hiding it from. To his credit though Malachi saw no signs of worry on his father's face. The man appeared calm and perfectly focused on the potions that bubbled around him.

A noise near the back of the room almost caused Malachi to fall off the stool he had been perched on. He had not expected he and his father to be disturbed while in the lab. A quick glance towards the door revealed Lucius, another glance at his father revealed that the man hadn't even looked up to acknowledge his friend. The door to the lab slid closed and Lucius made his way towards the pair. He cleared his throat to speak but Severus effortlessly raised a hand to silence him and continued working.

Malachi was surprised when Lucius acknowledged the gesture and leaned against one of the work tables to wait. The position was of great interest to Malachi because he had never seen the elder Malfoy seem so relaxed. It seemed so unnatural for a Malfoy to be anything less than proper. The silence stretched for several minutes before Severus began moving the bubbling cauldrons from their fires in order to let them cool. When each potion had been tended to he turned back to Lucius.

"When am I expected to meet with him?"

"Tomorrow night. He expects a full confession and absolute honestly. He was furious when I told him Severus. Do not expect him to be forgiving or accepting. This matter is a blow to his pride and you know how he hates such things."

"I expect no kindness Lucius, you should know me better than that. I betrayed him, I knew the danger of doing so and I will accept the consequences of my actions. I am not afraid." Lucius chuckled despite himself.

"I don't think I've ever seen you truly afraid of anyone or anything. Even in school, you may have hated Potter and Black but you were never afraid of them." The elder man cast a glance towards Malachi. "We will have to do something about that appearance of yours my dear boy. Despite your recent changes you still resemble Potter too closely."

Malachi nodded, on some levels he was looking forward to the change. It would mean that he was no longer the boy who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. On the other Lily and James had loved him and would have raised him well should they have lived. He saw the changes that his appearance would undergo as the final death of the people who had been his parents.

It was a point that he would have to ignore in his new life. Yes that had been loving parents but at the same time his father had suffered fifteen years of torment all because one control obsessed man saw the fate of the world hanging on the life of an infant. It was a cruel destiny and it was one that he was more than willing to escape.

With a sigh he pulled himself from his internal musings to focus on the conversation between Lucius and his father. Currently his father was speaking.

"I'm surprised that he did not call me before him immediately upon hearing the news."

"Be glad for that, he probably would have killed you immediately. Your one saving grace is your willingness to tell us everything you know about Dumbledore and the fact that you came forward with this information. I dread to think of his reaction should he have found out by some other means." Severus rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"True, Merlin Lucius what have I done?" Malachi was surprised by his father's sudden reversal of thought. "I betrayed the only man who actually treated me like I was worth something, completely threw it away for something that meant nothing. I was a fool." The elder Malfoy placed a gentle hand on Severus' shoulder.

"You will do what is necessary to amend your failures and in the end we all shall benefit from your unique wisdom of the light's inner workings. Think of this as the ultimate gift of knowledge that will allow us to defeat Dumbledore at his own game."

"I suppose, still that brings me little comfort in light of my betrayal. In any case I will place myself at Voldemort's feet and allow him to do with me as he will."

"Yes, in the end that is all one can do. I wish you the best of luck my friend."

The conversation ended and Lucius took his leave. Once he was gone Malachi returned to watching his father. The man seemed more drawn and tired than he had before and Malachi knew that it must be the stress of his upcoming meeting that was weighing heavily on his mind. Suddenly the older man spoke.

"You will have to be completely dedicated to him if you want to survive." Malachi silently watched his father as he waited for him to continue. "Any wavering on your part and he will kill you. I don't care if you disagree with him on something. You will not show it." Severus looked up at the boy across from him for the first time. "Do you understand me?" Malachi nodded. "Say it."

"I understand."

"I don't think you really do." The bluntness of the statement surprised Malachi but it also made him think. "You have no idea what you are getting into, you can't have any idea."

"Why don't you enlighten me about it than rather than ranting about it? Tell me what I have to do. You are right, I don't know what is going to happen." Severus ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You have to be dedicated to him." It was a simple statement yet infinitely complex at the same time. "You have to believe that what he wants is the right thing for wizards."

"Do you believe what he believes? Are you dedicated to him?" Severus clearly did not expect the question and an uncomfortable silence settled between them. Severus looked lost, as though he were trapped in his memories and Malachi wisely chose to remain silent.

The boy's words had caused a whirlwind of emotion and memory to rise within him. Memories of the way things had been when Anna was still alive, memories of his loyalty to Voldemort, the thrill of being a spy for his master and knowing that he was playing an invaluable role, the pain of watching helpless as his life had been ripped out from under him. Everything he had cherished had been tainted by Dumbledore's manipulations.

When Severus finally looked back at his son he knew his answer and spoke clearly with a conviction that Malachi had never heard from the man.

"I'm completely loyal to my lord, as I should have been for all along. I will leave it to you to make your own decision, just remember that you can't have the best of both worlds. You started down the dark path when you came with me seeking revenge, you most likely will not live if you turn back now." Malachi nodded and swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat.

Not for the first time he wondered if he had made the wrong choice. When he considered the situation however he saw no other path he could have chosen to follow at the time. He would bring Albus Dumbledore to his knees if it was the last thing he did. If he did not do it for himself than he would do it for everyone who had been hurt by Dumbledore's manipulations. His mother, the Potters, his family, his father, that was an ideal he could accept and he knew that truthfully he wanted closure for himself as well. He also realized that he was not sorry for deciding to come with Severus.

"My loyalty is not something you have to question. I made my choice and I'm ready to see it through." Severus studied him for a second and nodded.

"I think you made the right decision and I think you will find the dark lord's ideals to be much more well thought out than you believe them to be. It will not be the difficult choice you believe it to be." With that Severus checked the cauldrons that were cooling behind him and when he found them to his satisfaction he cast sealing charms on each one to preserve them.

When he had finished he moved towards the exit of the lab and Malachi followed him in silence.

The rest of the evening and the early part of the next day passed far too quickly for Malachi. He was forced to watch as his father and Lucius prepared for the meeting with Voldemort. The boy knew that there was a good chance that Voldemort might simply kill Severus but Severus and Lucius both seemed somewhat confidant that this would not be the case.

While the two men were preparing for their meeting Narcissa busied herself by packing and prepping the boys for their trip to the Malfoy's German vacation home. Lucius had announced the departure to Malachi, Draco, and Severus over dinner the night he returned from his meeting with Voldemort.

Severus had immediately agreed to the idea but Draco had been far more difficult and refused to go. He had finally agreed after he and his father traded a few angry words at the end of the meal. Lucius had made it quite clear that he would not have any of them endangered by his son's childlike behavior and Draco had reluctantly agreed that their safety was more important than his grudges.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Shortly before it was time for Severus and Lucius to leave Severus pulled Malachi into Lucius' study and motioned for the boy to take a seat. Malachi was curious as to what his father wished to speak to him about before such an important meeting. He immediately expected the man to start lecturing him about something but instead Severus took a seat across from him and picked the decanter of fire-whiskey on Lucius' desk.

Malachi expected the man to pour one for himself but when the man poured two glasses and handed one to him he took it in confusion.

"Why are you giving me liquor?"

"Because you are more than old enough. Have you ever drank anything like this before?"

"I've had butterbeer before, does that count?" Severus sighed and downed the shot with a sigh and a slight grimace.

"No." He stated a little hoarsely as he reached across the desk and poured himself a second shot. "Drink it." Malachi downed the shot as his father had done and almost gagged as it burned its way down his throat. A quick glance at his father revealed that the older man appeared amused.

"I don't know how alcoholics drink this stuff. One would think the taste alone would prevent them from becoming addicted." Severus chuckled softly.

"Yes, one would think but sadly it rarely ever works that way." The older man fell silent for several seconds before continuing. "I have something to discuss with you. In the event that something happens to me my will has been rewritten to make you the primary beneficiary, there are some assets that will go to the Malfoys and some that have been promised to Voldemort, on the whole however you will be receiving most of my lands and the Snape family titles. I expect you to look to Lucius for aid in settling everything. He is your primary ally in all of this remember that."

"Do you truly expect Voldemort to kill you?" Severus sighed and shook his head slowly.

"I honestly do not know the outcome of this meeting. I just want you to be prepared and to know who you can trust, it never hurts to be constantly vigilant in things like this." Malachi smirked at him and Severus scowled. "This is not funny."

"You sounded like Mad-Eye Moody for a moment, for someone who hates him you sounded remarkable like him." Severus stared at him for a second and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Say that again and I will not hesitate to hex you." Malachi nodded quickly and Severus was momentarily overcome with emotion. The last few days had worn heavily on him but whenever saw the boy that sat before him he was overcome with both sadness and anger. The fact that he had missed out on his son's life haunted him and his hatred for the man who had caused his pain infuriated him. With a sigh he downed the second shot of fire-whiskey.

"This is the one time where I have actually been able to sit with you and consider you an adult. If we have nothing else after this I die knowing that we shared one moment together as father and son. I'm proud to know that I could do that."

The boy across from him was stunned. When he had followed his father into the study he had never thought that Snape would say those words to him. His brain reasoned that a large part of it might be due to the alcohol but it was still nice to hear and he nodded in understanding.

"I would like more moments like this one." He would have said more but at that moment Lucius knocked on the door and informed Severus that they would need to leave. Immediately Severus stood and followed the man out of the room. Malachi watched them in silence before standing and walking over to the desk.

He was only going to place the shot glass back where it had come from but when he thought about it he poured himself a second shot and downed it quickly. It burned its way down just like the first had and he muttered bitterly about the taste and whispered.

"That was for you."

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Severus and Lucius apparated to Riddle Manor and quickly adjusted their cloaks. The manner was absolutely silent for this early in the evening and the only sounds were the soft sounds of their footfalls as they made their way across the tiled entrance hall towards Voldemort's reception chamber.

As they neared the elaborate double doors Lucius placed a reassuring hand on Severus' shoulder and squeezed. There were no words between them as Lucius removed his hand and the doors opened on silenced hinges.

They entered silently and once the doors had closed Severus dropped to his knees as a sign of respect. Lucius continued further into the chamber and knelt at his lord's side. Voldemort placed a hand on top of Lucius' head for a moment before standing and advancing towards Severus.

"So you betrayed me, you led me to believe that others were the traitor in my ranks while you sat safely at my hand. Why Severus? After everything I've done for you?" Before Severus could respond Voldemort gave into his anger. "CRUCIO!" The anger behind the curse caused cold fear to course through Severus' being and he barely had time to steel himself before the curse hit him.

One of the things he had been most proud of was never screaming when he was hit by a bout of the cruciatus curse and he managed barely to keep himself from breaking even as the curse stretched on for what seemed like forever. When it finally ended he found himself gasping for breath and the ache of his entire body frightened him. He dared not look up to see his Lord's reaction.

"You were always the strong one, by far my favorite you know that don't you? I never dreamed in a million dreams that the traitor was you Severus. I should have seen it though, you were so close to Dumbledore but I thought you were just playing your part. I never dreamed you would betray me, not you."

Severus detected a hint of pain in his Lord's words, pain and deep seated betrayal.

"I am truly sorry my lord." It was a heart-felt apology but he knew that it would not be enough to erase what he had done.

"Crucio!" This time the curse held sufficiently less force behind it and was much shorter. Before Severus could recover Voldemort threw another curse at him. "Legilimens!" Immediately Severus was lost in the flood of memories that surged to the forefront of his mind. He usually tried to block Voldemort's efforts when he did this but he knew that to do so now would be suicide.

He was vaguely aware of Voldemort kneeling in front of him and tipping his chin up. Instinctively Severus met his master's gaze, knowing that by doing so he was giving the spell more power. The assault of memories became harsher as Voldemort dug deeper into the chambers of his mind that had been tightly locked away up until now.

He struggled with the urge to fight against the invasion of his mind. His mental shields flared momentarily and he pushed them back desperately. His lord deserved to see everything that he wanted to see and he had no right to deny the man anything he wanted, not after betraying him.

The onslaught continued and Severus suddenly felt trapped in the center of a giant maelstrom. As more and more of his memories revealed themselves to his master's relentless attack it almost felt as though he was unraveling and loosing himself in the process.

He had never felt this out of control since he was a child. Memories and emotions were flashing through him so fast that he couldn't grab on to any single image and he felt panic bubbling inside of him as Voldemort pushed deeper, making sure that nothing was being hidden from him.

Suddenly all that remained was blackness.

Voldemort was thrown from Severus' mind when the younger man passed out.

He knew that he had probably overdone it a little but he had gained more information through that method than he ever would have through any other manner and he was somewhat pleased with what he had found out.

Severus' attempts not to fight him had only proved to Voldemort how well Severus had trained his mind to resist invasion and the fact that the shields had fallen into place when Severus had fallen unconscious impressed him even more.

He turned to see Lucius looking at them nervously. He knew that the two men were extremely close and to see his the eldest Malfoy on the verge of running to his friend was something he had not seen in a long time. Obviously this whole ordeal had brought them close again.

He glanced back down at Severus and sighed. He had wanted to stay angry at Severus but with the younger man's memories so fresh in his mind he found that difficult to do at the moment. He also had realized just how deeply Severus had remained loyal to him despite Dumbledore's manipulations. The fact that Harry Potter was no longer a target was also something new to play with. He would have more time to take out other key targets that he had long been ignoring in favor of plotting against his nemesis.

He turned back to Lucius and indicated that he was allowed to approach. As he did so Voldemort reached down and checked Severus' pulse. It was returning to normal and there was little doubt that Severus' mind was working to repair the damage that had been done to it.

"Is he..."

"Dead, no, just unconscious. He should be up and about soon enough. For now take him to my chambers and when he awakens alert me immediately. I will be in my study." With that Voldemort swept from the room and Lucius was left to move Severus on his own.

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**That was the chapter, I hoped everyone enjoyed it. Don't worry about Sev, he will be fine. The method I used just seemed more effective and humiliating than constantly having Voldemort screaming "CRUCIO!" every five seconds. I'm also trying to create a kinder, gentler dark-side. If that isn't a contradiction in terms I don't know what is but that is what I'm trying to do so just bare with me. **

**Reviews, please review, let me know what you thought. I promised you guys torture and for once I actually delivered what I promised. I'm trying to advance the plot with each chapter and since I update so infrequently I think you guys deserve good strong chapters. Let me know what you think.**

TATA for now,

**Coldfire**


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